Russia and North Korea deepen ties with mutual defence treaty

Russian President Vladimir Putin has officially approved a strategic partnership treaty with North Korea, according to a decree published on Saturday (Nov 9).

The accord, as per a Reuters report, includes a mutual defence clause, which obligates each nation to provide military support to the other in case of an armed attack.

From treaty to law

The agreement, signed by Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June during a summit in Pyongyang, was ratified by both chambers of the Russian parliament and formalised by Putin's decree on Saturday. The treaty was ratified by the upper house of The Knesset this week, while the lower house endorsed it last month.

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Deepening Russia-North Korea ties

The pact marks a deepening of Russia-North Korea relations, especially since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

It comes as Western and South Korean sources allege North Korea has supplied Russia with weaponry, with Ukrainian forensic teams claiming to have found North Korean arms at Russian attack sites. Additionally, reports suggest that North Korea has sent thousands of its troops to Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has alleged that a few of the around 11,000 personnel have been involved in combat in Russia's Kursk region. However, Russia has not verified these reports.

Recent reports citing Western intelligence officers also back Zelensky's claims that a small number of North Korean troops are already “in action” inside Ukraine.

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According to the United States, North Korea has sent approximately 10,000 troops to Russia to train and likely fight against Ukraine. Last month, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh in a statement said the troops are likely being stationed in eastern Russia, potentially reinforcing Russian forces.

“We believe that the DPRK has sent around 10,000 soldiers in total to train in eastern Russia that will probably augment Russian forces near Ukraine over the next several weeks,” Singh told reporters, using the abbreviation for North Korea's official name.

At the time, President Joe Biden slammed the move as “very dangerous,” a sentiment echoed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who called it a “dangerous expansion of Russia's war”.

(With inputs from agencies)