Putin vows to deepen trade, security ties with North Korea

Russian President also pledges to support it against US, ahead of his visit to the North

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed on June 18 to deepen trade and security ties with North Korea and to support it against the United States, as he headed to the reclusive nuclear-armed country for the first time in 24 years.

The US and its Asian allies are trying to work out just how far Russia will go in support of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, whose country is the only one to have conducted nuclear weapon tests in the 21st century.

In a signal that Russia, a veto-wielding member of the United Nations Security Council, is reassessing its entire approach to North Korea, Mr Putin praised Pyongyang for resisting what he said was US economic pressure, blackmail and threats.

In an article published by North Korean state media, Mr Putin praised “Comrade” Kim, and promised to “jointly resist illegitimate unilateral restrictions”, to develop trade and strengthen security across Eurasia.

“Washington, refusing to implement previously reached agreements, continuously puts forward new, increasingly stringent and obviously unacceptable demands,” Mr Putin said in the article, printed on the front page of North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun, the ruling Workers’ Party mouthpiece.

“Russia has always supported and will continue to support the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) and the heroic Korean people in their opposition to the insidious, dangerous and aggressive enemy.”