(UPDATE) Mutual Assistance with the DPRK: Putin’s notable visit, DPRK notable support

The main document has been signed between Russia and North Korea.

PYONGYANG (Sputnik) -Earlier in the day, Putin said that “a new fundamental document” that will form the basis of the Russia-North Korea relationship for years to come has been prepared.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Wednesday. The Russia-North Korea agreement implies mutual assistance in case of aggression against participants, Putin explained.

Footage of North Korean and Russian heads of states signing Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement pic.twitter.com/83ydrjM8Cj

— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) June 19, 2024

To end this visit, Putin gave Kim Jong-un a new Aurus luxury car, an admiral’s dagger, and a tea set, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said.  Ushakov did not specifically say what gifts were presented to Putin, but noted that “they are related to the image” of the Russian president.

A question is immediately obvious. What is a definition of ‘aggression’? Is it one of those ‘rules based order’ type terms that indicate the parties decide? War is not being declared any longer so have we come to a soft definition of what, when, and how a concept such as aggression could be applied? Would unilateral sanctions be aggression? And how much of this pact between the countries was driven by the US declaring Russia’s economy as a war economy? That declaration in my opinion is aggression.

A few of Putin’s comments:

In connection with the signing of the treaty with the DPRK, Putin drew attention to statements by the United States and other NATO countries on the supply of high-precision weapons systems and aircraft for strikes against Russia.

“This is not just a statement, it is already happening, and all this is a gross violation of the restrictions accepted by Western countries within the framework of various international obligations.”

Russia does not exclude the development of military-technical cooperation with the DPRK in connection with the signed agreement, Russia’s President said.

Remember the term ‘military-technical’.  We heard it often at the outset and the onset of the SMO.  I did not know what it signified at the start and few people did.  In time, we learned that it means simply “we’re going to shoot the holy dickens out of you if you disturb or if you agress against us!”.  North Korea and Russia will now work together on this axis.  Nevertheless, Kim Jong-un stated that the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement is peaceful and defensive in nature.

Other documents signed during this visit:

• construction of a Border Road Bridge over the Tumannaya River
• cooperation in the sphere of health care, medical education and science
• Putin called for a review of the regime of indefinite sanctions against the DPRK by the UN Security Council. The president said that the restrictive measures against North Korea were “inspired by the United States and its allies.”   Moscow and Pyongyang will continue to oppose the practice of sanctions strangulation as a tool used by the West to maintain hegemony
• both Russia and the DPRK pursue an independent foreign policy and will not accept the language of blackmail and diktat.

In general, this was a friendly, supportive, collegial, and productive meeting from everything that we could see happening.  It was a pleasure to watch and somehow carried the feeling of assurance and adults in the room with it.  The DPRK will thrive through this, and Russia has formally gained another one to watch its back, specifically against the empire present in South Korea.  The sanctions regime will dissipate, slowly, in drips like cold treacle, but it will just be ignored, worked around, or otherwise financially defanged.  Now for BRICS for North Korea.

UPDATE:  Answer to my question on aggression by Mr Lavrov:

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answer to a question from Channel One (Pyongyang, June 19, 2024)

❓ Question: Would you comment on the article in the Russia-DPRK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty regarding assistance in case one of the countries is under attack? Does this mean that we might have to fight for the Koreans, and the Koreans for us?

💬 Sergey Lavrov: If anyone doubts the legality of this clause, then they need to read it carefully. It says that in the event of aggression against one of the parties, the second party will provide it with all necessary assistance in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and the national legislation of Russia and the DPRK.

In the view of someone regarding this as unlawful, this article can really be objected to only by those who are planning aggression against the DPRK or the Russian Federation. In our case it is a purely defensive position.