Putin’s pledge overhauls Russia’s entire post-Soviet policy on North Korea just as the United States and its Asian allies try to gauge how far Russia could deepen support for the only country to have tested a nuclear weapon this century.
On his first visit to Pyongyang since July 2000, Putin explicitly linked Russia’s deepening of ties with North Korea to the West’s growing support for Ukraine and said Moscow could develop military and technical cooperation with Pyongyang.
Also read: Putin warns Russia could hand other countries weapons to attack West
After talks, they signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership" pact, which Putin said included a mutual defence clause in the case of aggression against either country.
"The comprehensive partnership agreement signed today provides, among other things, for mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties to this agreement," Putin said.
He said Western deliveries of advanced, long-range weaponry including F-16 fighters to Ukraine for strikes against Russia breached major agreements.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin was welcomed in a lavish ceremony and cheering crowds in Pyongyang on Wednesday (June 19), as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed ‘full support’ for Russia’s war in Ukraine and pledged stronger strategic ties with Moscow.
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An honour guard including mounted soldiers, and a large crowd of civilians gathered at the Kim Il Sung square by the Taedong River running through the capital, footage from Russian media showed.
The scene included children holding balloons, and giant portraits of the two leaders with national flags adorning the square's main building.
Kim and Putin then rode to the Kumsusan Palace for summit talks, Russian media said, with cheering crowds lining the streets as the motorcade carrying the two leaders passed.
Putin is on his first trip to the North Korean capital in 24 years, a visit likely to reshape decades of Russia-North Korea relations at a time when both countries face international isolation.
