Policy

Facing the West and Ukraine.. Kim Brandishes the Card of Absolute Support for Russia


In a renewed affirmation of the strong alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged unconditional support for Russia.

This came during his meeting with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu, during which he reiterated his country’s commitment to backing Russia—especially in matters related to the conflict in Ukraine and associated international issues—as well as to upholding the terms of the joint defense treaty signed between the two nations.

In statements carried by the North Korean news agency, Kim emphasized that his country “will continue, in the future as well, to unconditionally support Russia’s stance and foreign policies,” describing the bilateral relationship as a model of strategic cooperation in the face of what he called “Western hegemony” over the international order.

Commitment to Joint Defense

During the meeting, Kim Jong-un reaffirmed his nation’s full commitment to the provisions of the treaty signed last year between North Korea and Russia, during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang, which culminated in a bilateral summit with the North Korean leader.

The treaty contains explicit defense clauses, most notably a mutual defense agreement that mandates immediate military assistance in the event of an armed attack on either party.

This agreement is widely viewed as a clear security alliance between the two nations amid sharply escalating geopolitical tensions tied to the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Indo-Pacific region.

Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

The two sides also discussed ways to strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership, which spans various sectors, including defense, economy, energy, and technology.

They explored mechanisms to deepen bilateral cooperation in response to Western sanctions and pressures imposed on both countries.

These developments reflect the growing closeness between Moscow and Pyongyang, amid increasing international isolation faced by both due to nuclear and military issues, as well as what both countries describe as the aggressive policies of Washington and its allies.

Moscow and Pyongyang are working to solidify an anti-U.S. and anti-NATO axis, driven by a clear political will to boost security and economic cooperation among countries under Western sanctions.

As military cooperation between the two deepens, the Russian embassy revealed that Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu met with top military official Pak Jong-chon during his recent visit to North Korea, as part of efforts to enhance defense coordination.

This marked Shoigu’s second visit to Pyongyang in less than three months, indicating an accelerated pace of strategic alignment between the two sides.

The Russian TASS news agency reported that Shoigu’s trip was directly ordered by President Vladimir Putin and carried a clear political and military message reaffirming the depth of the two nations’ partnership.

Russia’s Security Council—a consultative body chaired by Putin—confirmed that Shoigu’s visit aimed to discuss the implementation of key provisions of the military partnership treaty signed between the two nations, as well as to participate in symbolic events honoring “Korean fighters” who fought alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region.

In April 2025, Pyongyang officially acknowledged deploying troops alongside the Russian army on the Ukrainian front—an announcement that provoked widespread Western condemnation.

According to Russian sources, North Korean forces played a direct role in recapturing parts of the Kursk region, which had briefly fallen into Ukrainian hands during the summer of 2024.

North Korea insists that its military cooperation with Moscow is intended to “ensure peace and stability in Europe and Asia,” while Western powers view the coordination as a dangerous escalation and a breach of UN Security Council resolutions.

Relations between the two countries reached a new milestone following the signing of the joint defense treaty during Putin’s historic visit to Pyongyang last year, paving the way for an unprecedented expansion of military and logistical cooperation.

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