Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean top leader Kim Jong-un attend an official welcoming ceremony at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea on June 19, 2024. Photo: VCG

Russia and North Korea signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement on Wednesday during Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to Pyongyang, RIA Novosti news agency reported. Chinese experts said by signing the agreement, Russia and North Korea will become closer partners amid the ongoing Ukraine crisis. 

The agreement implies "mutual assistance in case of aggression against participants," Putin explained, according to Sputnik. The document was inked during the face-to-face talks between the two leaders.

During talks with the North Korea's top leader Kim Jong-un, Putin said the new fundamental document "will form the basis for long-term relations between the two countries," said the media report.

Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said earlier that the new agreement would outline future cooperation prospects considering recent developments in bilateral relations, especially in the economic and security sectors.

Putin's visit to North Korea will bring the Russia-North Korea relations to a new level, and the cooperation between the two countries will make Moscow more capable of "playing the long game" amid the Ukraine crisis, said Chinese analysts.

By promoting ties with Pyongyang, Moscow is releasing a signal to the US and its allies that Russia isn't afraid of a prolonged conflict, because Russia is not alone. In addition, Pyongyang is also sending a message to the world that the US' strategy to isolate and sanction North Korea will fail and the country doesn't need to be afraid of any military intimidation, because it is not alone either, said a Beijing-based military expert who asked for anonymity.     

According to Sputnik's report on Wednesday, Putin stressed at the meeting that Moscow appreciates North Korea's consistent and unwavering support for Russian policy, including in connection with the Ukraine crisis.

Kim, for his part, emphasized that Pyongyang expresses "full support and solidarity with the Russian government, army and people in carrying out the special military operation in Ukraine to protect the sovereignty, security interests and territorial integrity," Sputnik reported.

According to TASS, the visiting Russian delegation that participated in the negotiation between Putin and Kim was formed by many senior officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Natural Resource Minister Alexander Kozlov, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, Transport Minister Roman Starovoit, head of Russian Railways Oleg Belozerov and head of Roscosmos (Russia's state space corporation) Yury Borisov.

Cui Heng, a research fellow from the Center for Russian Studies of East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Wednesday that according to the list of Russian delegates, it seems the Russia-North Korea cooperation will focus on the fields like military, natural resources, transportation, public health and space industry. "The two sides will also focus on coordination to boost economic development and interconnectivity," he said.