Moscow: North Korea has ratified a mutual defense treaty with Russia, initially signed by leaders of both nations in June.
The treaty commits each country to assist the other in case of an armed attack, North Korean state media KCNA reported on Tuesday.
The announcement comes amid widespread international criticism over deepening military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. North Korea has reportedly sent tens of thousands of troops to Russia to support its ongoing war in Ukraine.
Kim Jong Un signed the decree ratifying the treaty on Monday, according to KCNA, and the agreement will come into force upon the exchange of ratification instruments by both sides. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also signed the treaty into law, mandating “immediate military and other assistance using all available means” if either country enters a state of war.
The treaty was finalized at a June summit between Kim and Putin, with Kim emphasizing that the accord elevates bilateral ties to the level of an “alliance.”
Officials from Seoul, Washington, and Kyiv have stated that over 10,000 North Korean troops are currently stationed in Russia, with U.S. officials and Ukraine’s defense minister reporting that some have participated in combat near Kursk, close to the Ukrainian border. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted last week that North Korean troops have suffered casualties, describing their involvement as marking a “new chapter of global instability.”
With inputs from Reuters
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