Russia and North Korea have agreed to a new “high level” defence pact.
It comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his first visit to the country in 24 years.
Western democracies have expressed concern that the partnership will boost Russian military capabilities in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Here’s what you need to know.
Background
North Korea has become an increasingly isolated state since it broke off from the South in the 1950s. It has few diplomatic ties to Western powers.
Russia is one of 22 countries with an embassy in North Korea. There are 110 foreign embassies in South Korea.
Since launching its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has pursued closer ties with North Korea and other states that have a hostile relationship with the U.S.
The U.S. and its allies continue to condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Weapons
NATO, an alliance of North American and European countries, estimates North Korea has sent more than a million military shells to Russia in support of its war in Ukraine.
The U.S. has also warned North Korean leaders against providing weapons to Russia, including ballistic missiles and drones.
In April, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan accused Russia of using North Korean weapons to “terrorise cities across Ukraine”.
Putin’s visit
Putin arrived in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang earlier this week.
He joined Kim at a military parade attended by thousands of citizens at the city’s main square.
Putin also attended a concert and state dinner with senior North Korean officials.
Putin and Kim exchanged gifts and took a limo ride together as part of the festivities.
Russia and North Korea’s defence pact
After hours of talks, the two leaders finalised a defence pact.
The deal is based on what they described as military, economic, and political cooperation. In a statement, the Russian Government said the two countries agreed to “mutual assistance in the event of aggression”.
Few details of the pact are known, as the agreement has not been published.
Putin and Kim both officially signed off on the pact at a ceremony.
NATO response
NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said the defence pact showed “authoritarian powers are aligning more and more”.
The pact’s “mutual assistance” clause is similar to NATO, which states that an attack on an “inch of NATO territory” is seen as an assault on all of its 32 member countries.
Putin is a vocal critic of NATO, and has cited its expansion as a reason for his invasion of Ukraine.]
Commentary
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) is a defence think tank.
ASPI’s Dr Euan Graham told TDA the deal between North Korea and Russia was deeply concerning.
However, he noted the pact could be an attempt by the two powers to project an inflated image of strength.
“Russia is trying to show that it has a strong hand to Washington and others. When in reality… we’ve seen Russia’s stature slipping,” Graham said.
