North Korea ratifies historic defence pact with Russia, strengthening military ties
Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un
North Korea has officially ratified a historic defence pact with Russia, deepening their mutual support and military cooperation. This comes as Pyongyang reportedly sent thousands of troops to bolster Moscow’s forces in Ukraine.
Ratified as a decree
North Korean state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Tuesday (Nov 12) reported that the deal “was ratified as a decree” of leader Kim Jong Un.
Russia unanimously approved the pact last week, with President Vladimir Putin adding his signature soon after.
“The treaty will take effect from the day when both sides exchanged the ratification instruments,” it added.
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Kim and Putin initially forged the treaty during Putin's June visit to North Korea, aiming to secure each other’s military support “without delay” if either nation comes under attack, and promising resistance to Western sanctions. Putin called the deal a “breakthrough document.”
This bilateral ratification, as per Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification means that “Pyongyang and Moscow will claim legitimacy for North Korea's military deployment to Russia, arguing that this action is justified by the ratified treaty between the two”.
“While their treaty does not override UN resolutions prohibiting such cooperation, they will assert its legitimacy based on their agreement,” Hong added.
The treaty, some experts warn, could pave the way for even greater deployments of North Korean soldiers to Russia in the future.
“This raises the prospect of additional, potentially larger deployments of North Korean manpower to Russia in the future.”
Deepening Russia-North Korea ties
The pact marks a deepening of Russia-North Korea relations, especially since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
It comes as Western and South Korean sources allege North Korea has supplied Russia with weaponry, with Ukrainian forensic teams claiming to have found North Korean arms at Russian attack sites. Additionally, reports suggest that North Korea has sent thousands of its troops to Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has alleged that a few of the around 11,000 personnel have been involved in combat in Russia's Kursk region. However, Russia has not verified these reports.
Recent reports citing Western intelligence officers also back Zelensky's claims that a small number of North Korean troops are already “in action” inside Ukraine.
(With inputs from agencies)