Military deal causes concern The new pact between Kim and Putin could be dangerous

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un are closing ranks against the West. Among other things, they have pledged to stand by each other in the event of aggression. But what exactly does that mean?

The strategic partnership agreed by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un is a ground-breaking agreement, according to both sides. However, the exact text of the agreement has not been published and it remains to be seen what short and long-term consequences it will have.

Putin said after the signing that the all-encompassing strategic partnership also includes "mutual assistance in the event of aggression against either party".

But what exactly does this mean? Here are the most important questions and answers about the Putin-Kim pact.

It is clear that the strategic partnership will bring internationally isolated North Korea and Russia, ostracized by the West because of the war in Ukraine, closer together. The alliance is likely to pose new challenges for the international community.

Russia and North Korea would not bow to Western "blackmail", emphasized Putin: "Today we are fighting together against the neo-colonial practices of the USA and its satellites."

According to expert Vladimir Tikhonov from the University of Oslo, Putin's support for Kim allows him to "balance out his dependence on his other important ally Beijing". In return, Putin gains "secure access to Soviet-style artillery shells, which he now needs in enormous quantities".

In the past, North Korea has also described joint US and South Korean military maneuvers in the region as aggression, as Pyongyang sees them as preparations for an invasion. Criticism by the USA of the human rights situation in North Korea alone has been condemned by Pyongyang as a "means of aggression" against which it will resolutely defend itself.

Russia, on the other hand, justified its war of aggression in Ukraine by claiming, among other things, that it was NATO that was the source of the aggression. Putin also spoke of aggression during the protests that led to the overthrow of Russia-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014.

Neither Putin nor Kim explained in detail whether the agreement contains a similarly defined obligation to provide assistance, such as that provided for in the NATO treaty for a so-called alliance case, in which the other NATO states must stand by an attacked ally. It also remained unclear what "mutual assistance" could look like - perhaps soldiers, armaments or even humanitarian aid.

Probably nothing. The agreement signed on Wednesday merely formalizes military cooperation between the two nuclear powers. According to Western observers, cooperation between Putin and Kim has long been underway.

According to NATO states such as the USA, Moscow has received ammunition and missiles from North Korea to replenish its war arsenal and has supplied technology to Pyongyang in return. Putin hinted on Wednesday that the West was doing the same by supplying weapons systems to Ukraine. "The Russian Federation does not exclude the development of military-technical cooperation with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in accordance with the document signed today," the president said.

There is certainly nothing to worry about. Kim has long been interested in modern military technology, such as nuclear submarines, hypersonic weapons and intercontinental missiles, writes Der Spiegel. Food and fuel as payment for weapons deliveries are probably not enough for Kim.

If North Korea is able to significantly develop its missile program through the transfer of military know-how and the associated technology, this could cause even more instability in the region, but not only there. Kim could be put in a position to threaten the USA with nuclear warheads and thus deter it from intervening in a possible conflict between North and South Korea.

The pact is likely to be particularly worthwhile economically for North Korea, which is isolated by international sanctions and urgently dependent on goods from abroad. In return, North Korean workers could be deployed in Russia, change their salaries into dollars or euros and send hard currency home.

dpa