Seoul: Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed to provide immediate military assistance if one of them is attacked, reviving an agreement dating back to the Cold War in a move likely to unsettle the US and its partners.
As the two leaders signed the deal this week during Putin’s first visit to North Korea in 24 years, Kim called the pact “the most powerful treaty” signed between the two countries and one that elevates their ties to an alliance.
“If either party is invaded by armed force by an individual state or states and faces a war, the other party shall without delay and in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations and the laws of North Korea and Russia, provide military and other assistance with all the means at its disposal,” the treaty said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
Putin hailed the treaty as a "truly groundbreaking document" that "reflects the desire of the two countries not to rest on their laurels, but to bring our relations to a new qualitative level," according to TASS.
He also said the UN sanctions regime against North Korea should be revised. He went on to say that "attempts to blame North Korea for the deterioration of the situation are categorically unacceptable."
While the two nations are yet to release details about the new partnership treaty, Kim said the deal is for defensive purposes but it raises the risks for the US and its partners in responding to provocations from Moscow and Pyongyang and is a symbol of their defiance against Western powers.
The pact, dubbed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, also says Russia and North Korea agreed to work together to strengthen their defense capabilities while expanding cooperation in trade and investment.
Since the Kim-Putin summit last year, the two nations have been bolstering military ties, with the North being accused of supplying Russia with ammunition for use in Moscow's war in Ukraine in exchange for aid and suspected technological assistance for its space program.
US expresses 'great concern' after Kim-Putin summitWashington: The United States has reiterated that the growing cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a trend of "great concern" after Pyongyang and Moscow signed a pact calling for mutual aid if either side comes under attack. "Deepening cooperation between Russia and the DPRK is a trend that should be of great concern to anyone interested in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, upholding the global non-proliferation regime, abiding by UN Security Council resolutions, and supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence against Russia's brutal invasion," the State Department spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency via email. "As we have said before, we don't believe any country should give Mr Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression against Ukraine," the official added and stressed that Russia is "blatantly violating the UN Charter and working to undermine the international system". |
