On Wednesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the signing of a new pact obliging each other to provide aid in case one is attack. (RELATED: Biden Greenlights Ukraine's Use Of Strikes Against Russia With US Weapons)
The text of the treaty has yet to be released, but it is already causing concern, as The New York Times notes:
The Russian president, in a briefing after the two leaders signed the document, did not clarify whether such assistance would require immediate and full-fledged military intervention in the event of an attack, as the now-defunct 1961 treaty specified. But he said that Russia “does not exclude the development of military-technical cooperation” with North Korea in accordance with the new agreement.
The pact was one of the most visible rewards Mr. Kim has extracted from Moscow in return for the dozens of ballistic missiles and over 11,000 shipping containers of munitions that Washington has said North Korea has provided in recent months to help support Mr. Putin's war in Ukraine.
It also represented the farthest the Kremlin has gone in throwing its weight behind North Korea, after years of cooperating with the United States at the United Nations in curbing Pyongyang's nuclear and missile program — a change that accelerated after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
“This is a truly breakthrough document, reflecting the desire of the two countries not to rest on their laurels, but to raise our relations to a new qualitative level,” Putin remarked.
Kim expressed North Korea's “full and unconditional support” for Russia's actions in Ukraine last year, emphasizing a shared commitment to fight against what they termed “imperialism.” Observers consider the latest pact as a further deepening of ties between the two nations, particularly in the face of increasing international isolation and sanctions from the West.
Since late 2023, North Korea has sent large amounts of military aid to Russia to support its efforts in the Ukraine conflict. This includes significant transfers of munitions such as artillery shells. South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik claimed last week that North Korea has shipped millions of artillery rounds to Russia. (RELATED: Report: North Korea Possibly Sending Upwards Of 5 Million Artillery Shells To Ukraine)
The aid involves covert operations, including the use of vessels with deactivated transponders, in an attempt to avoid detection. Nevertheless, U.S. forces have observed vessels traveling between North Korean and Russian ports.
In exchange for these supplies, Russia is providing North Korea with food and other essential goods as the country lies on the brink of famine.
While the relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang has fluctuated, Russia and North Korea are now arguably cooperating more closely than ever.
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