North Korea and Russia agree to offer immediate military assistance in the event of war

“If either side is confronted with an armed invasion and is in a state of war, the other side shall promptly use all available means to provide military and other assistance in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and the laws of each country,” Article 4 of the agreement states.

Article 51 of the UN Charter guarantees member states the right to take individual or collective measures of self-defense.

The pledge by the leaders of the two countries, which face increasing international isolation, comes against a backdrop of growing concerns in the United States and its Asian allies about the extent to which Russia would support North Korea, the only country to test a nuclear weapon this century.

Kim echoed Putin’s statement and explicitly linked their closer relations to the fight against the “hegemonic and imperialist” policies of the West and especially the United States, including their support for Ukraine.

The agreement also states that neither side will sign any treaties with third countries that harm the interests of the other, and that neither side will allow its territory to be used by any country to endanger the security and sovereignty of the other, state media KCNA reported.

The two countries will take joint measures aimed at “strengthening defense capabilities to prevent wars and ensure regional and international peace and security,” it said.

Neither South Korea nor the White House initially commented on the reported content of the agreement.

Japan expressed “serious concerns” about Putin’s promise not to rule out cooperation with Pyongyang in the field of military technology.

The reaction of China, the North’s biggest political and economic benefactor, was muted.

Washington and Seoul have grown increasingly concerned about increasing military cooperation between Russia and the North, accusing the two countries of violating international law by trading arms for Moscow’s war against Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have said they have found debris from North Korean missiles in their country.

Russia and North Korea deny any arms trade.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak said Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, had allowed the “most brazen lifting” of all sanctions imposed on North Korea in order to stop its weapons development.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the pact showed that authoritarian powers were joining forces more closely.

During his first visit to Pyongyang since 2000, Putin thanked Kim for supporting Russian policies, and Kim reiterated his “unconditional” and unwavering support for “all of Russia’s policies,” including Putin’s war against Ukraine.

KCNA released the full text of the agreement on Thursday, which also includes cooperation in nuclear energy, space research, and food and energy security.

Cha Du-hyeogn, a former South Korean government official and now a fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, said the mutual defense commitment is similar to that in the 1961 treaty between the North and the Soviet Union.

The reference to the UN Charter and the laws of individual countries is subject to interpretation and it is not clear whether the agreement would constitute an alliance, he said.

“This is because Kim wants to do everything for this agreement, but Putin is hesitant to do so,” Cha said.