James Myers of OAN
Wednesday, June 19, 2024 11:05 AM
During their summit on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly signed a new cooperation agreement that includes mutual pledges to continue to provide assistance if either country is attacked.
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The agreement, which covers security, trade and investment as well as cultural and humanitarian pacts, could represent the strongest ties between the two countries since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the two leaders said.
The two leaders also noted that the outcome of this agreement will lead to a significant improvement in relations between the two countries.
The two met on Tuesday when Putin arrived in North Korea for the first time in 24 years. The Russian president was greeted with a strong, friendly handshake from Kim Jong Un and was presented with a bouquet of roses by a South Korean woman wearing a pink and purple dress.
Kim also stressed that this is the “strongest treaty ever” between the two countries and that their cooperation is at the alliance level. He also said that North Korea supports Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Putin also described it as a “landmark document” that reflects the shared desire to elevate relations between the two countries to a higher level.
The two leaders climbed into limousines and drove in a huge motorcade through the capital’s brightly lit streets, lined with buildings flying Russian flags and portraits of Putin.
After spending the night at the state guesthouse, Putin attended a welcoming ceremony in the city’s central square that drew thousands of spectators, including children holding balloons and people wearing T-shirts in the combined red, white and blue of the Russian and North Korean flags.
The summit comes as the United States and its allies express concern over an arms deal that would see North Korea provide Moscow with weapons needed for the Ukraine war in exchange for economic aid and technology transfers that the U.S. says could increase the threat of Kim Jong Un’s nuclear weapons and missile programs.
Meanwhile, North Korea faces increased scrutiny under UN Security Council sanctions over its weapons programs, while Russia faces sanctions from the United States and its Western allies over the war in Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Putin’s visit to North Korea shows Russia is “desperately seeking to develop and strengthen relationships with countries that can provide what it needs to continue the war of aggression it has launched against Ukraine.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stressed that Putin’s visit showed his “dependence” on authoritarian leaders for support.
“Their closest friend and biggest supporter of the Russian war effort. [are] “North Korea, Iran and China,” he said.
Russia, along with China, has backed Kim Jong Un’s efforts to build up his nuclear arsenal and has repeatedly blocked U.S.-led efforts to impose new U.N. sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear tests.
Tensions on the Korean peninsula have also reached their highest point in recent years due to Kim Jong Un’s increased weapons testing and an increase in joint military exercises by the United States, Japan and South Korea.
North and South Korea have also recently engaged in a Cold War-style war, with North Korea dropping balloons filled with garbage into South Korea and South Korea responding by broadcasting anti-North Korean propaganda over loudspeakers.
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