Russian senators ratify North Korean defense pact

Russian lawmakers on Wednesday voted unanimously to ratify a landmark mutual defense pact with North Korea, as Kiev and the West claim Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to fight for Russia against Ukraine.

The agreement formalizes months of deepening security cooperation between the two nations, which were Communist allies throughout the Cold War.

North Korea has become one of the most vocal and important backers of Russia's full-scale offensive on Ukraine.

The West has long accused Pyongyang of supplying artillery shells and missiles to Moscow for use against Ukraine.

The latest accusations, based on intelligence reports, suggest that North Korea has deployed around 10,000 troops to Russia, indicating even deeper involvement in the conflict and triggering an outcry and warnings in Seoul, Kiev, and Western capitals.

Ahead of the vote, presidential official Andrei Rudenko addressed the assembly, stating that Moscow's relations with Pyongyang have reached new heights.

Rudenko praised North Korea for being the "only country in the world to publicly support" Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and the 2022 annexation of eastern Ukraine following Moscow's full-scale offensive.

"I believe this treaty is very timely," he told the assembly.

The vote came as Donald Trump claimed victory in the U.S. presidential election.

'Mutual assistance' 

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed the strategic partnership treaty in June during Putin's visit to Pyongyang.

They stated that it would obligate "mutual assistance in case of aggression," with Putin calling it a "breakthrough document" at the time.

The treaty also commits both countries to...