A Moscow-North Korea Military-Spenticular Joint Operation to End Russia’s Cold War and Destabilize the Middle East

The partnership treaty was signed by Putin and Kim after their meeting in North Korea.

In a press conference following the meeting, Putin said the agreement “includes the provision of mutual assistance in case of an aggression against one of the signatories.”

Putin thanked Kim for North Korea’s support for the war and stressed the two countries’ historical comradeship spanning from the early 20th century to their current opposition to “the hegemony policy, the imperialist politics of the United States and its satellites,” Tass reported.

The full scope of the treaty and other agreements signed on Wednesday are not publicized. And some North Korea watchers question the sustainability of the current bilateral ties.

But the United States and its allies have raised concerns that a growing military partnership would embolden the two ostracized countries and destabilize the region and beyond.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after his meeting with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken that Russia’s war is being prioritised by countries like North Korea and China. “If they succeed in Ukraine, it will make us more vulnerable and the world more dangerous,” he said.

After hugs and a brief chat, the two rode in a Russian-made Aurus sedan together to the Kumsusan State Guesthouse along the capital’s streets, which flew Russian national flags and welcoming banners.

North Korea put on an extravagant welcoming ceremony later on Wednesday at the Kim Il Sung Square, which was filled with military bands, honor guards and North Korean citizens waving flowers and flags under sweltering heat.

A 30-year friendship between the Russian and the Southeast Asian countries, and a tribute to Vladimir Lenin, the founding father of the Soviet Union

Kim was also quoted as saying that his country “appreciates the important mission and role of strong Russia in maintaining strategic stability and balance in the world.”

He promised “full support and solidarity” with the Russian government, army and people who were taking part in the special military operation in Ukraine.

He suggested that the two countries can engage in advanced military-technical cooperation, while increasing exchanges in other areas.

30 years of friendly relations between Russia and Vietnam have been marked by the signing of a treaty. Prashanth Parameswaran, a fellow with the Wilson Center’s Asia Program, said Vietnam is “reinforcing” that relationship even while it diversifies with newer partners.

Giang said Russia is important to Vietnam for two reasons: It is the biggest supplier of military equipment to the Southeast Asian nation, and Russian oil exploration technologies help maintain Vietnam’s sovereignty claims in the contested South China Sea.

Following their talks, Putin said the two countries share an interest in “developing a reliable security architecture” in the Asia-Pacific region with no room for “closed military-political blocs.” Lam added that both Russia and Vietnam wanted to “further cooperate in defense and security to cope with non-traditional security challenges.”

Since the beginning of the war, Putin has not been able to travel far, and he has never traveled out of the country of the former Soviet space.

He said that the visit seems to have been more about Moscow trying to influence other countries, particularly in the so-called Global South.

“Perhaps for Vietnam it’s a matter of just showing that it’s able to maintain this very agile balance of its bamboo diplomacy,” he said. “Already in the course of a year they’ve hosted visits by the heads of state of the three most powerful countries in the world, which is pretty impressive.”

A manufacturing powerhouse and an increasingly important player in global supply chains, Vietnam hosted both U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in 2023.

There is evidence of a long relationship in Vietnam, as seen in the capital where many soviet-style apartment blocks are now dwarfed by skyscrapers. A statue of Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the Soviet Union, stands in a park where kids skateboard every evening. Many in the Communist Party’s top leadership in Vietnam studied in Soviet universities, including party chief Trong.

Since Putin’s last visit, a lot has changed. The U.S. has a raft of sanctions against Russia because of the invasion of Ukraine. In 2023, the International Criminal Court in Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin for alleged war crimes, making it difficult for the Russian leader to travel internationally. The Kremlin said that the warrant was null and void and didn’t recognize the court’s jurisdiction.

In Hanoi, Putin also met Vietnam’s most powerful politician, Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, according to the official Vietnam News Agency.

Putin arrived in Vietnam on Thursday morning after signing a strategic pact with North Korea, an event that could mark the strongest connection between the two countries since the end of the Cold War.

Putin’s recent visits to China and now North Korea and Vietnam are attempts to “break the international isolation,” said Nguyen Khac Giang, an analyst at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

During his state visit to Vietnam, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed at least a dozen deals and offered to provide fossil fuels to the Southeast Asian nation for the long term, which comes as Moscow tries to bolster its ties in Asia.