Support for Ukraine Conflict: Putin Extols North Korea's Solidarity
Just prior to his trip to North Korea, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly commended the reclusive nation for its backing in Russia's military involvement in Ukraine. In an article for North Korea's official newspaper Rodong Sinmun, Putin expressed gratitude for "North Korea's unwavering support" and solidarity on critical international matters. Russia and North Korea plan to sign a treaty on mutual cooperation, as per the Kremlin.
As per reports from both parties, Putin's visit to North Korea was scheduled from Tuesday to Wednesday, at the invitation of leader Kim Jong Un. His arrival in Pyongyang was expected in the evening (local time), though the exact time was undisclosed. Prior to his voyage to the Far East, Putin visited the Russian city of Yakutsk.
Upon his arrival in Pyongyang, streets were adorned with Putin's portraits and Russian flags. Speculation in South Korea suggested political discussions might occur on Wednesday, following which Putin was to continue on to Vietnam. This marked Putin's first visit to North Korea in 24 years, and a reciprocal one, as Kim was in Russia in September.
Historically, Russia has shared close ties with North Korea. The nuclear-armed nation, under international sanctions due to its nuclear weapons program, is suspected of providing artillery shells and rockets to Russia, which allegedly use them against Ukraine. This would be a blatant infringement of UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea, as viewed by the USA and its allies. They believe North Korea might acquire military key technologies from Russia in exchange for food and other aid.
In recent months, North Korea has been accused of illegally exporting dozens of ballistic missiles and over 11,000 containers of ammunition, according to the spokesman for the US Department of State, Matthew Miller, on Monday (local time). Such deepening of cooperation between Russia and North Korea, Miller stated, should raise serious concerns for those seeking to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, while upholding the global nuclear weapons non-proliferation regime, implementing UN Security Council resolutions, and supporting the Ukrainian people resisting Russia's invasion. Russia has been engaged in an armed conflict against Ukraine for more than two years.
The USA and South Korea, regarded as adversaries by North Korea, have issued repeated warnings about military collaboration between North Korea and Russia. Both parties have refuted accusations of arms trading.
The treaty between Russia and North Korea, according to reports from Moscow, has been drafted by the Foreign Ministry and is set to be signed at the highest level, meaning by Putin and the North Korean leader. The contents of the treaty remain undisclosed. During their meeting in September, both sides expressed a willingness to strengthen cooperation, especially in the military-technical field.
In his article for "Rodong Sinmun", Putin described North Korea as a "staunch and aligned ally", ready to challenge Western efforts to establish a unipolar world order. Russia and North Korea aim to build a security architecture in Eurasia jointly, defying Western sanctions and establishing independent transaction systems. Both sides are resolute to work closely together, as noted by the Russian president. "We will create alternative mechanisms for trade and reciprocal trade dispute resolution mechanisms that are not controlled by the West," Putin wrote.
