Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday visited North Korea for the first time in 24 years aimed at strengthening ties between the two nations amid intensifying confrontations with the US. Both countries signed an agreement that pledges mutual aid if either country faces “aggression,” a strategic pact that comes as both face escalating standoffs with the West.
Putin was met at Pyongyang's airport by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. They shook hands and embraced, and Kim later joined Putin in his car. After a lavish welcoming ceremony on Wednesday morning, the Russian leader thanked North Korea for its “consistent and wavering support for Russian policy, including in the Ukrainian direction.” Here is what we know.
Putin In North Korea | Key Points
- Putin was met at Pyongyang's airport by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with a lavish welcoming ceremony that included a honour guard of mounted soldiers and huge portraits of the two leaders hanging side by side in the centre of Pyongyang.
- Kim thanked Putin for his "consistent and unwavering support for Russian policy, including in the Ukrainian direction."
- Putin's visit comes after he said the two countries want to cooperate closely to overcome US-led sanctions.
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised full support for Russia's war in Ukraine, vowing his country's "full support and solidarity to the Russian government, army, and people in carrying out the special military operation in Ukraine to protect sovereignty, security interests, and territorial integrity."
- It wasn't immediately clear what support from North Korea might look like.
- Putin and Kim signed a new partnership agreement that includes a vow of mutual aid if either country is attacked.
- The deal covers security, trade, investment, and cultural and humanitarian ties, and is seen as the strongest connection between Moscow and Pyongyang since the Soviet Union collapsed.
- Russia and North Korea also signed agreements on cooperation in healthcare, medical education, and science.
- Along with China, Russia has provided political cover for Kim's continuing efforts to advance his nuclear arsenal, repeatedly blocking US-led efforts to impose fresh UN sanctions on the North over its weapons tests.
- In March, a Russian veto at the United Nations ended monitoring of UN sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program, prompting Western accusations that Moscow is seeking to avoid scrutiny as it buys weapons from Pyongyang for use in Ukraine.
- The visit comes amid growing concerns about an arms arrangement between the two nations, with North Korea providing Russia with badly needed munitions to fuel Moscow's war in Ukraine, in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that could enhance the threat posed by Kim's nuclear weapons and missile program.
(With AP Inputs)
