The Kremlin did not deny its readiness to fight for North Korea

Russia and the DPRK will cooperate in the military sphere and ensure each other's security within the framework of the treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership, said the press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov. "The wording in the treaty does not need clarification, it is quite unambiguous," Peskov said, answering a question from journalists about whether Russia could, under the agreement, side with the DPRK in the event of a military conflict on the Korean Peninsula (quoted by Interfax). According to him, Moscow and Pyongyang intend to be guided by the principles of this treaty in the further development of relations.

The day before, on October 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted to the State Duma a bill on ratification of the agreement between Russia and the DPRK on a comprehensive strategic partnership. Putin and DPRK leader Kim Jong-un signed the document in June of this year. It consists of 23 articles and de facto implies a military alliance.

In particular, Article 4 of this agreement stipulates that “if one of the parties finds itself in a state of war due to an armed attack by one or more states, the other party will immediately provide it with military assistance by all means available to it in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and the laws of the DPRK and the Russian Federation.”