Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin and North Korean “Supreme Leader” Kim Jong Un have agreed to a partnership that, among other things, ensures that they will come to each other’s aid should a war break out.
Specifics about the pact have not been leaked to the press, but some are speculating that it represents the strongest tightening of the bond between the two Cold War players since the fall of the Soviet Union.
Putin and Kim both characterized it as a major boost to the nations’ relationship and said it encompassed national security, trade, investments, cultural issues, and humanitarian initiatives.
VIDEO: Putin and Kim Jong-Un on who enters the car first. pic.twitter.com/WrQXEIK1FK
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) June 18, 2024
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Kim said the two regimes now have a “fiery friendship” and that the pact is their “strongest ever treaty,” virtually constituting an alliance. North Korea fully supports Russia’s war in Ukraine, he added.
Putin called it a “breakthrough document” to solidify their relations at a more fundamental level. It was the first time Putin visited North Korea in 24 years. Russia is in desperate need of weapons and supplies in their conflict against Ukraine (and, by proxy, the Western world), and in turn aims to help North Korea develop their missile program with technological exchanges.
This comes as Russia is sensing mounting aggression from the West. In late May, Biden quietly gave Ukraine permission to use American weaponry within Russia’s borders. Russia interpreted this as an act of aggression, and threatened to send warships to Cuba in addition to other “asymmetrical steps” globally. Russia followed through with this threat, sending ships as well as a nuclear submarine to Havana Harbor.
The United States responded by sending a nuclear submarine to Guantanamo Bay. The US Southern Command stressed that this was a “routine port visit.” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh emphasized that Russian ships in the Havana Harbor do not pose a threat and that Russia often engages in such exercises in the region.
Shane Devine is a writer covering politics and business for VT and a regular guest on The Unusual Suspects. Follow Shane’s work here.
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