PYONGYANG, North Korea
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a mutual defense agreement on Wednesday with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, who offered his "full support" on Ukraine.
The pledge of military
cooperation was part of a strategic treaty signed during a summit in Pyongyang,
where Putin was making his first visit in 24 years.
"It is really a
breakthrough document," Putin said at a news conference in the North
Korean capital, adding that it provided, "among other things, for mutual
assistance in case of aggression against one of the parties to this
treaty," Russian news agencies said.
The two countries have been
allies since North Korea's founding after World War II and have drawn even
closer since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 isolated Putin on the global
stage.
The United States and its
allies have accused North Korea of providing ammunition and missiles to Russia
for its war in Ukraine, and the treaty was certain to fuel concerns of more
deliveries.
Putin also said Russia
"does not rule out military-technical cooperation with the DPRK in
connection with the treaty that was signed today," referring to North
Korea by its official name.
Kim called Putin the
"dearest friend of the Korean people" and said his country
"expresses full support and solidarity to the Russian government"
over the war in Ukraine, which has triggered rafts of UN sanctions on Moscow.
Putin, in turn, thanked his
host Kim — whose country has been under a UN sanctions regime since 2006 over
his banned weapons programs — saying Moscow appreciated the "consistent
and unwavering" support.
Putin said the two heavily
sanctioned countries would not tolerate Western "blackmail" and
called for a review of UN sanctions on North Korea.
"The indefinite
restrictive regime inspired by the U.S. and its allies at the UN Security
Council towards the DPRK should be reviewed," Putin said.
Putin also said Moscow and
Pyongyang were fighting "U.S. hegemony" together and commended the
North for its "balanced position" on Ukraine.
"Today, we are fighting
together against the hegemonism and neo-colonial practices of the United States
and its satellites," he said.
Putin arrived in Pyongyang
before dawn on Wednesday and was greeted by Kim on a red carpet at the airport,
where the pair embraced and smiled.
They then attended a welcoming
ceremony in Kim Il Sung Square, featuring a military band and mass synchronized
dancing, after which Putin invited his host to visit Moscow.
Putin gifted Kim a luxury car
by Russian carmaker Aurus, and took him for a drive, according to state-run RIA
Novosti news agency.
The two also visited an
Orthodox Church in Pyongyang, it added.
The summit, which included a
lengthy one-on-one chat between the leaders, was their second meeting in a
year.
Kim took his bulletproof train
to Russia's Far East in September for a summit with Putin at a spaceport.
Kim said the two countries'
ties had now risen "to a new high of alliance."
"It is greatly satisfying
to conclude a great treaty that befits a changed international situation and
the strategic nature of new DPRK-Russia relations," he said.
Kim also said the new treaty
"fully contributes to maintaining peace and stability in the region."
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