By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
PYONGYANG (Worthy News) – North Korea’s autocratic leader Kim Jong Un and his hardline Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin signed a new military pact Wednesday that includes a pledge of mutual defense if either is attacked.
The accord signed in Pyongyang, the capital, came as nuclear-armed Russia and North Korea are both under Western pressure and sanctions aimed at reining in their military plans.
Putin, who was welcomed by flag-waving crowds, sealed the agreement after a time when he was shopping for ammunition for his ongoing war in Ukraine.
Iran, along with North Korea and China, are among key allies, though China has denied supplying weapons to Russia.
Putin told reporters in the reclusive nuclear-armed state that North Korea and Russia face growing confrontations with the West.
However, in a warning to Washington and other Western capitals, Putin stressed that the agreement was “a truly breakthrough document” that reflected the two countries’ shared desire to raise relations to a new level — covering security, trade, investment, and cultural and humanitarian ties.”
NORTH KOREAN SUPPORT
Kim claimed it was “a peaceful” agreement that elevated relations to an alliance, though Japan and South Korea have expressed concern about his missile launches.
U.S. and South Korean officials accuse the North of providing Russia with artillery, missiles, and other military equipment for use in Ukraine, possibly in return for key military technologies and aid.
Both Pyongyang and Moscow deny accusations about North Korean weapons transfers, which would violate multiple U.N. Security Council sanctions that Russia previously endorsed.
North Korea has also come under pressure over reported massive human rights violations, including the imprisonment of thousands of Christians and others perceived to be a danger to Kim and his ideology.
Putin’s visit Wednesday, his first to North Korea in 24 years, comes as the Kremlin’s forces push for breakthroughs in Ukraine’s east and north while new commitments from its allies have bolstered Kyiv’s defenses.
The NATO military alliance has expressed concern about Russia’s nuclear tactical weapons exercises with its ally Belarus in recent weeks.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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