(NewsWorthy.news) – At a meeting in Pyongyang, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un have agreed on a strategic pact that both parties claim is “defensive” and “peaceful”. The Kremlin stated that the agreement was solely for the benefit of both countries, rather than a declaration of aggression against other nations. Putin expressed his gratitude to Kim for his “unwavering support” of Russia’s war effort.
As both Russia and North Korea face a climate of increasing isolation from neighbors and Western powers, Kyiv has shown its disapproval of the agreement, ridiculing it as the “world’s loneliest bromance”. Putin has repeatedly warned western leaders over the years against expanding NATO’s borders, which the Kremlin views as provocation. The Russian president insisted that the agreement between Moscow and Pyongyang is to protect the two nations from aggression.
North Korea has a history of provocative actions towards Japan and South Korea, and launched multiple cruise missiles into the Sea of Japan in February 2024. Both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have claimed to want peace in the Ukraine conflict. Conditions laid down by both countries are, however, unwavering; Ukraine is refusing to surrender any territory to Russia, including the Donetsk region governed by pro-Russian separatists leading up to the 2022 invasion, and Putin has likewise demanded that Ukrainian forces withdraw completely from its occupied territory.
Putin’s “dictatorial” peace terms were widely condemned at the Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland, and Kyiv dismissed the demands as telling Ukrainians to withdraw from Ukraine. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that China, North Korea and Iran are all “causes of concern” due to their backing of the Russian regime and its war effort. China and India in particular have been criticized by the West over their heavy reliance on Russian oil that has fueled economic growth and the Russian arms industry, while Ukraine depends heavily on military aid from the West.
Both North Korea and Russia have been sanctioned by the UN, due to the former’s development of banned nuclear and ballistic missiles and the latter’s invasion of Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg commented that Putin’s visit to the communist state only highlighted how dependent he is on foreign dictators for support.
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