Putin Assures North Korea of “Unwavering Support,” Incidents at the Border
Russian President Vladimir Putin assured North Korea on Tuesday of his country’s “unwavering support” in the face of the “cunning, dangerous, and aggressive enemy,” just hours before his arrival in Pyongyang for an extraordinary visit, preceded by incidents at the inter-Korean border.
Mr. Putin is set to conduct a state visit to North Korea on Tuesday and Wednesday, where a strategic partnership agreement may be signed between the two countries, seen as a threat by the West.
“Russia has supported (North Korea) and its heroic people in their struggle to defend their right to choose the path of independence, uniqueness, and self-development in the face of the cunning, dangerous, and aggressive enemy, yesterday and tomorrow as well, and will continue to support them unwaveringly in the future,” wrote Mr. Putin in an article published by the North Korean Rodong Sinmun newspaper and the KCNA news agency.
He also stated that Pyongyang “firmly supports” the Russian military offensive in Ukraine and expressed gratitude for it.
Americans and Europeans have been concerned for months about the accelerated closeness between Moscow and Pyongyang, accusing North Koreans of supplying ammunition to Russia for its attack on Ukraine in exchange for technological, diplomatic, and food assistance.
“This visit shows how President Putin and Moscow are now dependent on authoritarian countries worldwide. Their closest friends and biggest supporters of Russia’s war effort – the aggression war – are North Korea, Iran, and China,” commented NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg from Washington on Monday, highlighting that Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, now “violates” sanctions imposed on North Korea.
“What concerns us is the deepening relationship between these two countries, not only because of the impact it will have on the Ukrainian people, as we know that North Korean ballistic missiles are still being used to strike Ukrainian targets, but also because there could be some reciprocity that could affect the security of the Korean peninsula,” said John Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesperson.
Vladimir Putin’s diplomatic adviser, Yury Ushakov, told Russian media that “important, very meaningful documents” will be signed, mentioning a “possible conclusion of a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement.”
“This treaty, if signed, will of course be conditioned by the profound evolution of the geopolitical situation in the world and in the region and by the qualitative changes that have recently occurred in our bilateral relations,” he noted.
The Kremlin leader is accompanied by his Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and Defense Minister, Andrei Belousov.
This visit to North Korea comes nine months after Mr. Putin hosted Kim Jong Un in the Russian Far East, where the two leaders praised each other, without officially concluding agreements.
According to Western nations, Pyongyang has used its extensive ammunition stocks to massively supply Russia, and the Pentagon accused Moscow last week of using North Korean ballistic missiles in Ukraine.
In return, according to Washington and Seoul, Russia has provided North Korea with expertise for its satellite program and sent aid to address the country’s food shortages.
In March, Russia used its veto at the UN Security Council to end monitoring of international sanctions violations against North Korea, a major gift to Pyongyang.
Just hours before Mr. Putin’s expected arrival in Pyongyang, incidents occurred at the inter-Korean border. According to the South Korean military, “several dozen North Korean soldiers crossed the military demarcation line” before retreating under South’s warning shots.
This is the second such incursion in less than two weeks.
Moreover, according to South Korea’s military, several North Korean soldiers were injured by mines they were planting along the border.
South Korea stated Thursday it is “closely monitoring the preparations” for Vladimir Putin’s visit.
Seoul has provided significant military aid to Ukraine, where South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol visited last month, and is part of Western sanctions against Moscow.
Vladimir Putin presents his assault on Ukraine and diplomatic efforts as a battle against American hegemony on the global stage.
This is only the second visit by the Russian leader to North Korea, where he last visited nearly a quarter-century ago shortly after coming to power to meet Kim Jong Un’s father, Kim Jong-il.