Putin's visit to Pyongyang likely to deepen anti
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky in the Russian Far East, Sept. 13, 2023, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap
Seoul, Washington, Tokyo closely monitoring Kim-Putin meetingBy Nam Hyun-wooRussian President Vladimir Putin is set to make a high-profile visit to North Korea for a two-day stay starting Tuesday, in an action deepening the anti-Western ties between Moscow and Pyongyang and a strategy to weaken the regional influence of the United States.
The visit signifies the two sides’ efforts to cement what South Korea, the U.S. and its other Western allies describe as a “dangerous partnership” to meet each other’s needs — ammunition for Putin’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and technological support for Kim Jong-un’s ambition to advance the North’s nuclear and missile capabilities. In this regard, the two leaders are expected to sign a treaty on "comprehensive strategic partnership," according to Russia's news agency TASS.
According to the two countries' news media, Putin is visiting the North for the first time in nearly a quarter century, which is viewed as a reciprocal gesture after Kim’s trip to the Russian Far East last November.
Putin’s foreign affairs aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that Putin would fly to Pyongyang late on Tuesday evening and the “entire substantive part” of the visit will take place on Wednesday.
The visit will involve official summits and unofficial private talks between Putin and Kim as well as joint press announcements, along with a handful of ceremonial events that Pyongyang has been preparing for weeks.
Ushakov said the visit may yield a treaty on a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides, adding “this document is also being worked on and if it is signed, it will replace the fundamental documents that were inked in 1961 and 2000.”
In 1961, the Soviet Union and North Korea signed an alliance treaty on mutual friendship, cooperation and assistance, which included a clause on automatic military intervention in the event of an armed invasion or war. However, this was abolished in 1996. In 2000, Russia and the North signed the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness, and Cooperation, but it did not stipulate a military alliance between the two sides.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visit the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Russian Far East, Sept. 13, 2023. Reuters-Yonhap
Experts said the comprehensive strategic partnership that Russia mentioned is closer to a political statement, and chances are very slim for the two sides to ink an alliance-level treaty which includes automatic military intervention.
“In modern diplomatic agreements between countries, it is very difficult to observe clauses stipulating automatic military intervention,” said Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification.
“To include such a clause, the two sides should have relations equivalent at least to a comprehensive strategic alliance, which is close to that between South Korea and the U.S. Given Russia’s relations with other countries including South Korea and the U.S., it will be a very difficult choice.”
Russia currently maintains a number of comprehensive strategic partnerships with countries including Vietnam and Mongolia. Hong said the partnership with Vietnam does not contain military-related clauses, while the one with Mongolia has contents on Mongolia’s status as a nuclear weapon-free zone.
Due to this, the possible comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and North Korea will likely focus on energy, food and other economic cooperation.
In a contribution piece to North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun, Tuesday, Putin said, “We will develop alternative trade and mutual settlements mechanisms not controlled by the West, jointly oppose illegitimate unilateral restrictions, and shape the architecture of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia.”
This is interpreted to be aligned with Russia’s de-dollarization efforts and a tactic to counter international financial sanctions jointly.
Russia has attempted to expand the use of its rubles through multilateral development institutions to weaken U.S. influence, but North Korea has long been preferring dollar-based transactions.
“In 2014, the two sides agreed to settlements in rubles in all trade, but it appears that no significant profit has been observed because the North has always been preferring dollar-based transactions and the two sides’ trade volumes have remained mediocre,” a South Korean government official said.
The South Korean government said on Tuesday it has been monitoring the progress of the Putin-Kim meeting, but its Director of National Security Chang Ho-jin said in a TV interview on Monday that “we have already communicated with Russia in a warning message that Moscow should not cross a certain line.”
John Kirby, the White House's national security communications adviser, speaks during a daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Monday. AFP-Yonhap
John Kirby, the White House's national security communications adviser, told reporters Monday that the U.S. is “concerned about is the deepening relationship between these two countries.”
Kirby said the worry was not just that “North Korean ballistic missiles are still being used to hit Ukrainian targets, but because there could be some reciprocity here that could affect security on the Korean Peninsula.” The “reciprocity” Kirby was referring to appears to be possible military technology transfers.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi also expressed concerns over possible weapons and military-related trade and vowed to cooperate with South Korea, the U.S. and the international community for the complete implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Against that backdrop, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported Tuesday that the Ukrainian defense ministry recently announced that North Korea provided 1.8 million rounds of 122- and 155-millimeter shells for use in the war in Ukraine, adding that North Korea is supplying ammunition, ballistic and surface-to-air missiles, as well as parts for Russian vehicles.
“Chances are very low for the two sides to openly declare their military cooperation during Putin’s visit,” Hong said. “Even if there is an agreement on military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, it is highly unlikely that it will be disclosed publicly, because there is no need to provoke other countries unnecessarily.”
South Korea and China held two-plus-two talks of their senior foreign and defense officials, Tuesday, in what appears to be Seoul’s counter to the Putin-Kim meeting. Seoul’s First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong attended.
South Korean foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said the talks would involve discussions on the Putin-Kim meeting.
(责任编辑:资讯)
- Travel Back in Time and Uncover Old
- Roblox announces AI Assistant and more features to boost its creator economy
- 17 Wonders of America's National Parks
- 18 Shipwrecks You Can See Without Getting Your Feet Wet
- CeeDee Lamb secures record
- 水产品占“四席”!广州南沙十个农产品上榜“国字号”
- Cyber Monday fitness deals 2023: Fitbit, NordicTrack, Garmin, more
- Early Cyber Monday drone deals 2023: DJI, Holy Stone, more
- 18 Places That Celebrate Glorious Beer
- 采购商+48,英德红茶在泉城济南蹭蹭涨粉
- Trek for Treats to 15 of the World’s Most Unique Candy Stores
- 居民消费更优惠!邮储银行开启“2024美好生活季”
- N. Korean leader visits late father's mausoleum
-
21 Unexpected Wonders in Colorado’s Vibrant Cities and Small Towns
Between Colorado’s storied ranges, folded into its valleys and sprinkled across its plains, you’ll f ...[详细] -
Cyber Monday streaming deals on Hulu, Paramount+, and more
UPDATE: Nov. 26, 2023, 7:00 p.m. EST This story has been updated with additional streaming and strea ...[详细] -
The fate of the midterms could rest in a Pennsylvania courtroom.
Under the radar, a state court issued an opinion last week that could prove decisive in a pivotal sw ...[详细] -
阅读分享会上,白涛左二)发言编撰家史资料、注重家庭文化、定期召开家庭会议……家住雨城区青江街道土桥社区的郭宗敏家庭重视家风家教培育,长辈通过言传身教的方式引导孩子讲文明、懂礼貌,帮助孩子树立正确的价值 ...[详细]
-
What to expect from Apple's September event: iPhone 16, Apple Watch 10, and more
Apple's big September event is fast approaching, bringing us all the latest gadget goodies from the ...[详细] -
Our Favorite Weird, Wild Sculpture Gardens
Sculpture gardens offer art lovers a unique opportunity to view magnificent works of art while also ...[详细] -
NK leader's sister dismisses doubts about satellite, ICBM technologies
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his sister Kim Yo Jong attend a meeting with then South Korean P ...[详细] -
LOS ANGELES:Former United States international captain Michael Bradley said Tuesday he will retire f ...[详细]
-
20 Places to Eat Dumplings and Noodles for Lunar New Year
Every Lunar New Year, billions of people gather to celebrate with their families—and to feast. While ...[详细] -
我市召开市乡镇行政区划和村级建制调整改革“后半篇”文章专项工作领导小组会议
本网讯25日,我市召开乡镇行政区划和村级建制调整“后半篇”文章专项工作领导小组会议。会议强调要认真贯彻落实市委书记李酌就全市乡镇行政区划和村级建制调整改革“后半篇”文章工作作出的重要批示,以更高站位、 ...[详细]
How much for Oasis tickets? Fans joke about splurging on reunion shows
Playing With Light and Perspective With One of Our Top Photo Contributors
- DNC 2024 speech: Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have a superpower no other Democrat has.
- 纪检监督助力粮食安全赢在“起跑线”
- Celebrate Asian
- 180+ Cyber Monday gaming deals: 30% off PlayStation Plus
- NYT Strands hints, answers for August 29
- Pakistan makes history at 2026 Fifa WC qualifiers
- 我市召开市乡镇行政区划和村级建制调整改革“后半篇”文章专项工作领导小组会议