the mutual defense treaty with North Korea ratified

This Wednesday, the upper house of the Russian Parliament ratified the mutual defense treaty with North Korea, whose soldiers are already, according to kyiv and Washington, on the verge of joining the Russians fighting the Ukrainian forces. This vote by the Council of the Federation, which comes two weeks after that of the deputies, was hardly in doubt and no senator voted “against”while Moscow and Pyongyang have made a rapid rapprochement since Russia launched its attack on Ukraine in February 2022.

Concluded during a visit by Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang in June, this treaty between two black beasts of the United States, provides in particular “immediate military aid” reciprocal in the event of an attack against one of the two countries. A participation of North Korean soldiers in the fighting, which the West believes is imminent, would be a new blow for the Ukrainian troops, lacking men and weapons, who are retreating on many sections of the front.

Donald Trump’s victory in the American presidential election also seems a promise that aid will dry up and the Ukrainians fear that upon his return to the White House in January, the Republican will force them to negotiate with Russia under very difficult conditions. favorable to Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday evening that 11,000 North Korean soldiers were already in the Russian region of Kursk where, since its surprise offensive in August, the Ukrainian army has occupied a few hundred square kilometers.

A new escalation

The US State Department said on October 31 that it expected North Korean engagement “in the coming days” and Secretary of State Antony Blinken ruled that Russia intended to“use these forces in front-line operations”. This internationalization of the conflict triggered in February 2022 by the Russian assault in Ukraine would mark a new escalation.

Ukraine is therefore annoyed by the timidity of its Western supporters who still do not authorize it to strike Russia in a discretionary manner with missiles provided by Europe and the United States. In October, the Russian army advanced almost 500 square kilometers in Ukraine, its largest territorial gain in a month since March 2022 and the first weeks of the conflict.

“We see an increase in the number of North Koreans (near the front) but no increase in the reaction of our partners”Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday.

“Until Victory Day”

Russia and North Korea have grown significantly closer since the invasion of Ukraine began. Like Iran, another existential adversary of Washington, North Korea is accused by kyiv and the West of supplying shells and missiles to the Russian military.

It is suspected of asking in particular in exchange for technologies that will help it strengthen its nuclear arsenal, particularly in the field of missiles. On Tuesday, the North Koreans carried out a new test firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile, showing their determination to continue their program to develop their nuclear weapons.

During a several-day visit to Russia, during which she was received on Monday by Vladimir Putin, the head of North Korean diplomacy Choe Son-hui promised that her country would remain alongside its partner until“on Victory Day” in Ukraine. In this context, South Korea, a major arms exporter, has indicated that it is studying the possibility of directly sending weapons to Ukraine. It was opposed until now because of a long-standing national policy that prevented it from supplying weapons to countries at war.