North Korea Marks Second Anniversary of Treaty With Russia That Includes Troop Deployment to Ukraine

North Korea on Friday marked the second anniversary of a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty with Russia, describing the agreement as an essential legal weapon that promises a new global order. The Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, said the pact signed in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024, during Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit had given the two countries a firm foundation to weather a confusing and volatile international situation.

The treaty includes a mutual defense clause committing each side to assist the other in the event of aggression.

North Korea has sent troops to fight alongside Russian forces against Ukraine under the treaty. Friday's article cited a new hospital under construction, restored air links between Pyongyang and Moscow, and the deployment of soldiers to Russia as part of the pact's outcomes.

North Korea pledged to actively support the Russian government's policies based on the treaty and called deeper ties across all sectors its steadfast position.

Separately, Vladimir Topekha, charge d'affaires ad interim of the Russian Embassy to North Korea, visited the National Gifts Exhibition House on June 18, 2026, with embassy staff to mark the anniversary. A photograph released by the Korean Central News Agency shows Russian President Vladimir Putin posing with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the June 19, 2024, treaty signing ceremony in Pyongyang.