Russia supports North Korea against 'treacherous' West - Putin

RT
Mon, 17 Jun 2024 21:06 UTC

© Sputnik / Artyom Geodakyan

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Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit Pyongyang for the first time since 2000

Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for its friendship and support and pledged to assist Pyongyang in its own struggle for independence and identity.

Putin is scheduled to visit North Korea on Tuesday, for the first time since 2000. Ahead of his trip, the Russian president has written an article published by the leading DPRK daily, Rodong Sinmun.

"Russia has continuously supported and will support the DPRK and the heroic Korean people in their struggle against the treacherous, dangerous and aggressive enemy, in their fight for independence, identity and the right to freely choose their development path," Putin wrote.

The Russian leader thanked North Korea for its "unwavering support" of the military operation in Ukraine, international solidarity, and "willingness to defend our common priorities and views" at the UN.

Putin also described Pyongyang as "our committed and like-minded supporter, ready to confront the ambition of the collective West to prevent the emergence of a multipolar world order based on justice, mutual respect for sovereignty and consideration of each other's interests."

The "rules-based order" the US has been trying to impose on the world is "nothing more than a global neo-colonial dictatorship that relies on double standards," Putin noted.

While Kim Jong-un and the DPRK leadership have repeatedly offered to resolve differences by peaceful means, the US has refused to implement previous agreements and "keeps setting new, increasingly harsh and obviously unacceptable requirements," Putin wrote.

The Russian president complimented North Koreans for "effectively defending their interests" even after years of "economic pressure, provocations, blackmailing and military threats" by the US.

Russia and North Korea intend to "develop alternative trade and mutual settlement mechanisms not controlled by the West, jointly oppose illegitimate unilateral restrictions, and shape the architecture of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia," Putin concluded.

According to the Kremlin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt, Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov, and Russian Railway head Oleg Belozyorov are scheduled to accompany Putin on his trip to North Korea on Tuesday.

Comment:
From the same source, an article includes a few more details about the trip:

17 Jun, 2024 22:45
Putin reveals goals of North Korea trip
[...]
To bring "more democracy and stability to international relations," Russia and North Korea "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," Putin wrote.

He also pledged to increase "people-to-people interaction" between the two countries, including "academic mobility" between higher education institutions, tourism, "as well as cultural, educational, youth and sports exchanges" to promote confidence, mutual understanding and well-being.

Putin reminded Koreans that the Soviet army helped liberate them from Japanese occupation in 1945 and that Moscow was the first to recognize the DPRK and establish diplomatic relations with Pyongyang. The USSR also helped rebuild the country after the devastation of the Korean War (1950-1953) with the US-backed South.
[...]

1) See also:

• Putin to visit North Korea for first time in 24 years
• BRICS developing platform for transactions in national currencies - Lavrov

2) The visit to North Korea may have been planned for a long time, but can also be seen in light of recent developments:

Zelensky's illegitimacy, NATO 'bulls**t' & Russia's 'asymmetric' response: Key takeaways from Putin's foreign press briefing

3 'Asymmetric' measures loom

Putin called out the US and other NATO members for supplying long-range missiles targeting deep into Russian territory. He warned that such escalations could backfire for the West as Moscow weighs its options.

"If someone deems it possible to supply such weapons to the war zone, to strike our territory..., why shouldn't we supply similar weapons to those regions of the world where they will be used against sensitive sites of these countries?" Putin asked. "We can respond asymmetrically. We will give it a thought."

• See also:
• Medvedev: The time of colonial powers 'is over'
• World sobering up on Ukraine conflict - Moscow
• Best of the Web: Final warning? Putin's Ukraine settlement proposal: "Withdraw all troops from the 4 Russian-majority regions, and affirm neutral non-NATO status for the remainder of Ukraine"
• Russia was ready to withdraw from southern Ukraine - Putin
• Best of the Web: NATO says over 300,000 troops 'now on high readiness'
• Russia accuses France of lying about troops in Ukraine
• West only cares about itself - Zakharova to RT