It was concluded during Vladimir Putin’s rare visit to North Korea last June. The mutual defense agreement between Moscow and Pyongyang came into force on Saturday, November 9, after its ratification by the master of the Kremlin. This treaty provides for reciprocal “immediate military aid” in the event of an attack by one of the two countries.
Moscow and Pyongyang formalize their rapprochement. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the mutual defense treaty with North Korea, whose soldiers are already, according to kyiv and Washington, on the verge of joining the Russians fighting Ukrainian forces. Concluded during a rare visit by the head of the Kremlin to Pyongyang in June, this agreement provides in particular “immediate military aid” reciprocal in the event of an attack.
The upper house of the Russian Parliament adopted this treaty on Friday November 8, which still had to be signed by Vladimir Putin to enter into force. The Kremlin published the law ratifying it the next day on its website.
A “revolutionary” treaty for Putin
The agreement formalizes months of deepening security cooperation between the two countries, communist allies throughout the Cold War. Two nations that have grown considerably closer since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. This document commits them to cooperate internationally to oppose Western sanctions and coordinate their positions at the UN. Vladimir Putin described him last June as “revolutionary document”.
Citing intelligence reports, South Korea, Ukraine and the West say Pyongyang has deployed around 10,000 troops to Russia to fight Ukraine. Asked about the deployment last October, the Russian president did not deny it, instead deflecting the question to criticize Western support for Ukraine.
YR with AFP
