During a visit to North Korea, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong-un, agreed to support each other in the face of foreign aggression. They have signed a strategic partnership agreement that covers various areas of cooperation, including cultural exchanges, tourism, trade, economic relations, and security.
The partnership agreement includes provisions for mutual assistance in case of aggression against either country, as stated by President Putin. He emphasised Moscow’s support for Pyongyang’s efforts to safeguard its security and sovereignty against potential Western threats, attributing the escalating tensions in the region to the US and its allies.
Putin criticised what he described as Western propaganda aimed at concealing aggressive geopolitical intentions, particularly in Northwestern Asia. He highlighted the supply of advanced weapons to Ukraine by Western nations and warned of potential military cooperation between Russia and North Korea in response to the current situation.
Pyongyang maintains a stance that is described as “objective and balanced” regarding the conflict in Ukraine, according to Putin, who emphasised that this demonstrates North Korea’s independence and sovereignty. Additionally, both nations share a common goal of advocating for a more just and democratic multipolar world to replace the previous Western-centric system.
The president affirmed that they will continue to resist the imposition of suffocating sanctions, which the West has utilised as a means to uphold its dominance in politics, the economy, and other spheres.
Putin highlighted the extensive history of Russian-North Korean cooperation, underscoring the Soviet Union’s role in combating Imperial Japan during World War II and the subsequent efforts to rebuild following the Korean civil war that divided the peninsula. He also mentioned that Moscow was the first international partner with whom Pyongyang signed an agreement 75 years ago.
