President Putin speaks out about a mutual defense treaty with North Korea.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - President Vladimir Putin affirmed that the agreement Russia signed with North Korea is similar to those with other countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo: Reuters).

During a plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club, a Moscow-based research group, on November 7th, President Putin stated that the recently signed agreement between Russia and North Korea contained nothing new, but rather a return to a similar document from the Soviet era.

"The treaty we signed with North Korea is the same treaty we signed with other countries. That was during the Soviet era, and of course it no longer exists, and we have actually returned to that treaty. That's all. Nothing new," Putin said.

Putin also mentioned the possibility of Russia and North Korea holding joint military exercises.

"Why not? Let's wait and see," Putin said, citing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement he signed with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his trip to Pyongyang in June.

The treaty outlines the comprehensive strategic cooperation that the two countries intend to maintain, including on national security issues. The treaty states that neither side will enter into treaties with third parties that infringe upon the sovereignty of the other.

Furthermore, in the event of an attack on either country, the other country commits to providing assistance, including military resources, as permitted by the United Nations Charter.

"This is truly a groundbreaking document," President Putin said at a press conference in Pyongyang.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said the treaty would take relations between Russia and North Korea to a new level and contribute to "creating a fair, multipolar international system."

He added that Moscow is seeking to "contain the growing regional threats from the West, which is pursuing the creation of closed military-political alliances in the Asia-Pacific."

In an interview in October, President Putin said that Russia and North Korea would decide for themselves whether and how to apply the military assistance provision of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement.

The agreement was announced amid reports that North Korea had sent thousands of troops to Russia to be deployed in the conflict in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also confirmed that North Korean troops had been deployed to Russia and that the first clashes between the two countries' military forces had taken place in Russia's Kursk province, where Kyiv launched its offensive in early August.

The Russian ambassador to the United Nations denied the presence of North Korean troops on the front lines, while accusing the US and its allies of spreading "misinformation."

For its part, North Korea stated that if it were to send troops to Russia, it would be an act in compliance with international law.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/tong-thong-putin-len-tieng-ve-hiep-uoc-phong-thu-chung-voi-trieu-tien-20241108073816961.htm