Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have pledged to deepen their alliance, vowing continued mutual military support under their newly signed strategic partnership treaty.

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In a phone call on Tuesday, described by North Korea’s KCNA news agency as “warm and comradely,” the two leaders reviewed the state of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to closer cooperation.

Both sides praised recent progress in expanding ties across multiple sectors, in line with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty signed in Pyongyang on July 19, 2024. The accord includes a mutual defense clause for reciprocal military assistance in the event of external aggression.

Putin thanked Kim for North Korea’s backing in the war in Ukraine, citing the “courage, heroism and selflessness” of North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in the border region of Kursk.

Kim, in turn, said the DPRK would remain “faithful to the spirit of the treaty” and “fully support all measures taken by the Russian leadership.”

The two leaders agreed to maintain closer contact and strengthen their cooperation further. The July treaty, which formalized military assistance commitments, marks one of the most explicit defense pacts between the two nations in decades and signals an intention to coordinate more closely in the face of external pressure.

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