Putin Forges Defense Pact With Kim Jong Un, Elevating Russia-North Korea Alliance: What It Means For US, Regional Allies

Russian President Vladimir Putin, on his first visit to North Korea in 24 years, signed a mutual defense pledge with Kim Jong-un on Wednesday.

Greeted with great fanfare by a jubilant crowd and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Putin’s move has rekindled the highest level of East-West tensions since the Cold War Era.

This development underscores a significant shift in Russia’s international alliances and highlights deepening ties with the only country to test a nuclear weapon in this century.

Moreover, it raises geopolitical tensions in Northeast Asia as it could pose a significant challenge to U.S.-centric alliances throughout the region (i.e., Seoul and Tokyo).

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Putin Strengthens Ties With North Korea

Putin’s visit to North Korea came just days after the U.S. and EU agreed at the G7 summit to provide Ukraine with a $50 billion loan, utilizing interest from frozen Russian assets.

Putin’s alignment with North Korea marks a stark departure from nearly two decades of supporting United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang.

“The comprehensive partnership agreement signed [Wednesday] provides, among other things, for mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties to this agreement,” Putin said.

As reported by Reuters, the Russian leader criticized Western deliveries of advanced weaponry, including F-16 fighters to Ukraine, suggesting these actions breached significant agreements.

“In connection with this, Russia does not exclude for itself the development of military-technical cooperation with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” he added.

Putin explained that the deal also focuses on the "political, trade, investment, cultural spheres, and the security sphere" calling the pact "truly a breakthrough document."

Kim, meanwhile, described the new “alliance” as a “watershed moment in the development of bilateral relations.”

Geopolitical Implications

China, North Korea’s primary political and economic benefactor, had no immediate response to the new agreement. Historically, China has avoided any trilateral arrangements that might complicate its relations with other countries.

Observers noted that the deepening cooperation between Russia and North Korea could destabilize the Korean Peninsula and challenge the global non-proliferation regime abiding by UN Security Council resolutions.

Artyom Lukin, deputy director for research at the Far Eastern Federal University, suggests that North Korea could become analogous to Belarus, Russia’s main ally in Eastern Europe, posing an open challenge to U.S.-centric alliances in Northeast Asia.

“It will be an open challenge to the system of U.S.-centric alliances in Northeast Asia. And, of course, it will be a huge problem for Seoul and Tokyo,” he added.

According to Sue Mi Terry, senior fellow for Korea Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, agreed: “Russia could turbo-charge the threat that North Korea poses not only to South Korea but also to the United States and Japan.”

Anthony Rinna, a specialist in Korea-Russia relations at the analysis website Sino-NK, highlighted that Russia has traditionally managed its relations with North Korea while also maintaining ties with South Korea — a U.S. ally and economic powerhouse.

However, by strengthening its alliance with North Korea and upgrading their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, “Russia risks undermining its policy of diplomatic equidistance,” Rinna said.

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