On June 19, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed an agreement that promises mutual aid if either country faces “aggression.” 

In effect, both nuclear-armed countries have forced a military pact during a time of great geopolitical instability. 

Although details about the deal are relatively scant, the deal represents the strongest partnership between Russia and North Korea since the Cold War ended. Both leaders declared that this agreement represents a significant boost in their bilateral relationship, which spans areas concerning cultural, humanitarian, investment, security, and trade connections.  

This newly forged pact came at a time when American authorities suspected that North Korea had been supplying Russia with munitions for its military campaign in Ukraine. In exchange, Russia would provide North Korea with economic aid and technology transfers that could bolster the North Korean nuclear weapons and missile program, which keeps the United States and its East Asian allies up at night. 

During Putin’s visit to North Korea, — the first visit he has made to the hermit state in over 20 years—  Kim proclaimed that the two countries had a “fiery friendship,” and that the deal was their “strongest ever treaty,” effectively transforming this relationship into a full-fledged military alliance. Kim also promised to fully support Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.

Putin described this agreement as a “breakthrough document” showcasing a mutual desire to take bilateral relations to the next level.

During their talks, Putin praised Kim for North Korea’s support in Ukraine. He described this as a “fight against the imperialist hegemonistic policies of the U.S. and its satellites against the Russian Federation.”

Both North Korea and Russia face heavy sanctions at the international level. North Korea currently faces stiff United Nations Security Council sanctions concerning its nuclear weapons program, while Russia is dealing with sanctions imposed by the US and its Western satrapies in NATO over its invasion of Ukraine.

The multipolar geopolitical order is not going away any time. With the US alienating much of the world, one can only expect countries that are subject to US meddling to begin pacting with one another. At some point, a full-blown anti-NATO alliance will crystallize to check US encroachments abroad. 

And the consequences for potential US miscalculations abroad could prove to be quite deadly should the US not reconsider its policies. For once, can the US pursue a non-interventionist agenda and only focus its national security resources on its southern border and its immediate sphere of influence in the Western Hemisphere?

This perhaps is too much to ask for.