North Korea has ratified its defence deal with Russia, according to the North’s official KCNA news agency, sealing their approach in the context of Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.

The agreement was ratified in the form of a decree, which North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed on Monday (11/11), KCNA said. Russian President Vladimir Putin also signed this mutual defence treaty, the Kremlin said in a statement over the weekend (09-10/11).

This treaty between the two countries, which was concluded during Putin’s rare visit to Pyongyang in June, mainly provides for mutual immediate military assistance in the event that either is attacked.

According to Kiev, about 11,000 North Korean troops have already been deployed in Russia and have begun fighting against Ukrainians in the Russian territory of the Kursk region, a small part of which has been seized by Ukrainian forces that attacked there in August. 

The Kremlin has so far avoided questions about the presence of North Korean aid. The agreement comes after months of deepening security cooperation between the two allies throughout the Cold War.

The agreement also provides that the two countries cooperate internationally to oppose Western sanctions and coordinate their positions at the UN.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui recently went to Moscow, where she declared that her country will stand firmly by the Russian comrades until the day of victory. She referred to the Russian attack on Ukraine as a “holy war.”

Source: AMNA

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