Autocracies join forces: NATO Secretary General on treaty between Russia and North Korea

At a meeting in Ottawa, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that Russia’s agreement with North Korea on a “comprehensive strategic partnership” highlights the growing alignment between authoritarian regimes and underscores the urgent need for unity among democracies, Reuters reports.

“We need to be aware that authoritarian powers are aligning more and more. They are supporting each other in a way we haven’t seen before,” Stoltenberg emphasized.

The NATO Secretary General added that North Korea has provided Russia with “an enormous amount of ammunition,” while China and Iran significantly assist the Russian defense industry in the war against Ukraine.

“When they are more and more aligned – authoritarian regimes like North Korea and China, Iran, Russia – then it’s even more important that we are aligned as countries believing in freedom and democracy,” NATO Secretary General underlined.

On June 19, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty in Pyongyang, establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership and elevating their relations to an allied level.