Putin says treaty with N. Korea provides 'mutual assistance' in case of aggression

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un pose for a photo during the signing ceremony of the new partnership in Pyongyang, on June 19, 2024. - AP

MOSCOW: A new treaty signed between North Korea and Russia provides for "mutual assistance" in case either country faces aggression, Russian leader Vladimir Putin said Wednesday (June 19), in an apparent warning to the West.

Putin visited the repressive state more than two years into Moscow's offensive that has ruptured ties with Western countries, which accuse North Korea of supplying Moscow with weapons for use in Ukraine.