What Kim Jong Un and Putin's new pact means for North Korea, Russia and Ukraine
A pact between Russia and North Korea could scramble the balance of power in East Asia and make it even more difficult to halt North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
SEOUL, South Korea — Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un are taking their relationship to the next level — one with security implications that go far beyond their two countries.
On Wednesday, during a rare visit to North Korea by the Russian president, the two leaders signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement that included a pledge to “provide mutual assistance in case of aggression.”
The pact, which comes as Putin is seeking greater assistance from North Korea in his war against Ukraine, has the potential to scramble the balance of power in East Asia, reinforcing growing security ties between the United States and its allies South Korea and Japan, and raising tough questions for China.
The pact also makes it even more difficult to halt North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, which include ballistic missiles capable of reaching the continental U.S.
The agreement requires both Russia and North Korea to provide immediate military assistance if the other country is the subject of armed aggression, essentially reviving a 1961 mutual defense agreement that was replaced by a much weaker one in 2000.
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