International

Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin sign a “strategic association” agreement that includes a mutual defense clause

The leaders of North Korea and Russia, Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin, signed today Wednesday a “Comprehensique Strategic Partnership Agreement” that includes a mutual defense clause, according to the Russian president after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The document signed between the two leaders contemplates “assistance in the event that one of the two countries is attacked,” Putin said in statements collected by the Russian agency Tass.

The Russian president also pointed out that “security issues and the international agenda” occupied a significant part of the agenda of the negotiations with the North Korean dictator.

The Kremlin president thus revealed part of the content of the new road map that will strub bilateral relations between the two countries, which have been strengthened as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and in the face of pressure on Pyongyang and Moscow by Washington and its allies.

In this sense, Putin stated that both Russia and North Korea “oppose the use of sanctions for political purposes, which only serve to undermine the international situation.”

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In addition, he called for “reviewing the United Nations Council’s sanctions regime on North Korea” promoted by the United States.

“Our countries consistently defend the establishment of a more just, democratic and multipolar world order. Russia and North Korea develop an autonomous and independent foreign policy and do not accept the language of blackmail and dictation,” the Russian president said.

“Despite external pressure, our countries develop successfully on a sovereign and independent basis, they have provided and provide mutual support as true friends and good neighbors,” he added.

Putin’s adviser on international policy, Yuri Ushakov, already said on the eve that this new treaty will replace those signed between Moscow and Pyongyang in 1961, 2000 and 2001.

Before that meeting, Putin and Kim Jong-un held an extended summit of about 90 minutes at the Kumsusan guest residence in Pyongyang, where Putin is visiting for the first time in 24 years.

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It was in that scenario that the Russian president thanked the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, for his “unwavering support” to the invasion of Ukraine.

“Russia appreciates the constant and unshakable support of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (official name of North Korea) for Russian policies, including what concerns Ukraine,” Putin said.

He also said that Moscow “is fighting against decades of imperialist policies imposed by the United States,” and stressed that the relationship between Russia and North Korea “is based on mutual equality and respect,” according to the intervention collected by TASS.

In addition, Putin invited Kim to travel to Moscow for the next summit between the two countries, and expressed his “admiration” for the “transformation” experienced by the North Korean capital during the last 24 years.

“The government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (official name of North Korea) values the important mission and the role of a strong Russian Federation in maintaining strategic stability and balance in the world,” said Kim, quoted by the RIA Nóvosti agency.

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The North Korean leader also expressed “full support and solidarity with the Russian Government, army and people regarding the execution of the special military operation in Ukraine to protect their sovereignty, security interests and territorial integrity.”

Kim added that the global situation is changing rapidly and that in that context Pyongyang intends to strengthen its strategic ties with Moscow.

After the opening comments, the rest of the summit, which lasted a total of around 90 minutes, was held behind closed doors.

The meeting between the two leaders began after a welcome ceremony for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in the Kim Il-Sung Square of Pyongyang, the scene of the main parades and celebrations of the North Korean regime.

The RIA Nóvosti agency published a photo of the square full of people and decorated with balloons.

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After the ceremony and the taking of photographs, both leaders went to the Kumsusan Guest Palace, where the Russian president is staying, to start their first meeting.

Today’s agenda also includes a gala concert in honor of Putin, a state reception and a floral offering by the Russian president at the Pyongyang Liberation Monument, dedicated to the Soviet Red Army soldiers who fought with Japanese imperial forces on the Korean peninsula during World War II.

Many analysts believe that Putin’s trip, which he plans to fly to Vietnam today for a two-day visit, can serve to deepen military ties after the agreement in this area that he and Kim signed at a summit last year in the Russian region of Amur.

According to South Korea and the Western powers, Pyongyang has transferred to Moscow in the last year thousands of containers with weapons – which would contain millions of projectiles for artillery parts and missile shuttles – that the Russian army has used on the battlefield in Ukraine.

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Related Topics:Korea del Norte Rusia Vladimir Putin

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International

Iran Reports 201 Dead, 747 Injured After U.S. and Israeli Strikes

The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported Sunday night (local time) that at least 201 people were killed and 747 injured following attacks carried out by Israel and the United States against the Islamic Republic.

A spokesperson for the humanitarian organization said more than 220 rescue teams have been deployed across affected areas and that relief operations are continuing without interruption. The official highlighted the difficulty of treating the large number of wounded and the urgent need for additional resources in impacted provinces.

Out of Iran’s 31 provinces, 24 have reported damage, according to a statement carried by the Isna news agency. This marks the first overall casualty toll released by Iranian state-affiliated media since the launch of the offensive.

Among the dead are 85 schoolgirls from a school in the southern city of Minab, according to the country’s judiciary. “The number of martyrs at the Minab girls’ school has risen to 85,” the local prosecutor’s office said, as quoted by the judiciary’s website, Mizan Online.

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian described the attack as a “savagery” that “constitutes a new black page in the record of countless crimes committed by the aggressors.”

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Meanwhile, the international community continues to monitor the situation closely amid concerns about possible further reprisals and the broader impact on Middle East stability, energy markets, and global security.

AFP noted that it was unable to independently verify the casualty figures or the circumstances surrounding the events.

International

Pope Leo XIV Urges End to ‘Spiral of Violence’ in Middle East

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for an end to the “spiral of violence” in the Middle East, following military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran and subsequent retaliatory bombardments in the region.

“Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions, I urge the parties involved to assume their moral responsibility and stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss,” the pontiff told the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

Speaking during the Angelus prayer, the U.S.-born pope said stability and peace cannot be achieved through threats or weapons. “Stability and peace are not built with reciprocal threats or with arms that sow destruction, suffering and death, but only through reasonable, sincere and responsible dialogue,” he declared.

The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics also called for diplomacy to “regain its role” amid escalating tensions.

In addition, the pope urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to urgently resume dialogue after several days of clashes between the two countries.

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International

Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting on Middle East Crisis

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday condemned the “military escalation in the Middle East” following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes, just hours before an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.

“I call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation,” Guterres said in a statement.

The Security Council is scheduled to meet on Saturday at 21:00 GMT (4:00 p.m. in New York) to address “the situation in the Middle East,” the United Nations announced.

The meeting, during which Guterres will deliver remarks, was convened at the request of France, Bahrain, Colombia, Russia and China, according to a diplomatic source.