The Russian Federation Council Approves Defense Treaty with North Korea

The Russian Federation Council, equivalent to the Senate, approved the mutual defense treaty with North Korea yesterday. This pact was already endorsed two weeks ago by the Lower House, so only President Vladimir Putin's signature is needed to fully formalize it.

Procedures continue, but the effects of the agreement already seem to be materializing on the ground. The Ukrainian government reported on Tuesday that its troops had engaged in the first 'small-scale' skirmishes with North Korean forces deployed in the Kursk region, according to statements by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who did not specify where or how the clashes occurred or the number of casualties.

The Pyongyang regime had already supplied missiles and artillery shells to the Kremlin for use at the front. Additionally, it has sent between 10,000 and 15,000 soldiers, who have already begun their deployment in Russian territories where Ukrainians have taken positions.

Before the Senate vote, Russian presidential adviser Andrei Rudenko praised North Korea for being the 'only country in the world to publicly support' the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula to Russia in 2014, and eastern Ukraine after the 2022 offensive. The treaty strengthens security cooperation between the two countries and obliges them to provide 'mutual assistance in case of aggression.'