Russian president's website
Last week a North Korean delegation — headed by a very high-ranking official, a member of the Politburo and secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) — visited Russia
And it wasn’t just a visit: the head of the delegation received an audience not only with Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, but also with President Vladimir Putin. The Central Telegraph Agency of North Korea (the equivalent of TASS) reported at the end of the Moscow visit: «At the meeting, President Putin asked to convey his warmest greetings and best wishes to the leader of the DPRK, Comrade Kim Jong Un. Lee Hi Yeon respectfully conveyed Comrade Kim Jong Un’s martial salute to Comrade Vladimir Putin. Comrade Putin noted that Comrade Kim Jong Un pays great attention to the development of Russian-Korean cooperation and warmly welcomed the WPK delegation’s visit to Russia». Moreover, the meeting with the Russian supreme leader was held not just anywhere but right in the Kremlin.
Even one of the popular Chinese online platforms noted the attention paid to the North Korean guest and concluded that Moscow is demonstrating its willingness to develop close ties with North Korea and attaches special importance to the relationship. It is hard to disagree with this observation. In Beijing, officials are certainly watching the Russian-North Korean rapprochement closely, since North Korea has always been within China’s immediate sphere of influence and concern.
Washington, on the other hand, is probably watching with equal attention — and perhaps irritation. The current American administration believes that an alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang should never have been formed. During his first presidency, Trump tried to befriend North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and the North Korean leader made concessions during two meetings with Trump. But as usual, the United States did not hold up its end of the «deal», and the improving relations sank even further. Even now, when Washington makes conciliatory statements, Pyongyang reminds it of America’s unreliability as a negotiating partner and responds that it is unwilling to make any concessions — let alone jeopardize its relations with third countries. In response to the February 23 meeting of the «Multilateral Monitoring Group on Sanctions against the DPRK» in Washington, the North Korean Foreign Ministry dismissed it as «blather» and declared that the country is indifferent to whether sanctions are eased or tightened, as both have contributed to strengthening its sovereignty.
In contrast, as a result of last year’s high-level exchange visits between Russia and North Korea, a treaty on a comprehensive strategic partnership was signed. The document went through the full approval process, and on December 4 last year the deputy foreign ministers of Russia and North Korea exchanged instruments of ratification. From that day the treaty came into force.
According to Article 4 of the document, «if one of the parties finds itself in a state of war due to an armed attack by one or more states, the other party shall immediately render military assistance by all available means in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and the laws of North Korea and the Russian Federation». This means that the participation of North Korean soldiers in the special military operation can now be legally justified. And in case of an attack on North Korea, the aggressor will have to face Russia — including its missile and nuclear capabilities. This radically changes the balance on the Korean Peninsula and in the entire region. In addition to mutual military assistance, the treaty provides for expanded cooperation in trade, economics, investment, science and technology, including space and peaceful nuclear energy.
Commenting on the meeting with the North Korean guest, Dmitry Medvedev said: «The Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Russia and North Korea marks a new era in relations between the two states». According to the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, the document fully reflects the desire for an independent policy and the protection of sovereignty.
«The entry into force of the treaty will promote multifaceted bilateral cooperation at a new strategic level of Russian-Korean friendship and cooperation, in line with the goal of building a new, just multipolar world, and will contribute to the creation of an indivisible security system in Northeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region as a whole», the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov noted that the Russian-North Korean treaty «aims to reduce the risk of a new war in Northeast Asia and lay the foundations for a new Eurasian security system».
On October 24 last year, when the State Duma ratified the document, President Vladimir Putin mentioned the treaty in response to a question about the presence of North Korean military personnel in the Kursk region — a claim made by South Korea and the US: «As you know, today our treaty on strategic partnership was ratified, and it contains Article 4. We have never doubted that the North Korean leadership takes agreements seriously. But what and how we will do it is our business under this article», he stressed.
Details of the current meetings in Moscow have not been made public, as they are not meant for public ears and eyes. However, the very fact that these meetings are taking place at this time — on the eve of a potentially serious conversation with the U.S. (if it takes place at all) — indicates that both sides do not intend to change their approach to the bilateral partnership, let alone adapt it to the political climate. In particular, the treaty between Russia and North Korea is open-ended. Not long ago, Kim Jong Un reiterated that «North Korea will always be on Russia’s side». The North Korean Foreign Ministry later confirmed its support for Moscow in the military conflict in Ukraine, although it did not specify the nature of this support. Now Moscow is taking a similar stance — continuing close cooperation and ushering in a new level of relations. The meetings in Moscow almost coincided with North Korea’s test launches of intermediate-range ballistic missiles, which Kim Jong Un observed personally.
Meanwhile, in addition to deepening military-technical cooperation, contacts are being established in other areas. The two countries are coordinating their positions in international organizations, restoring direct transport corridors between Russia and North Korea, gradually developing trade, expanding tourist exchanges, and more. North Korea, for many years under sanctions and neglected by Moscow, has now become one of its most important partners and allies.