Why warmer North Korea-Russia ties could be trouble for Northeast Asia

South Korea’s foreign ministry also summoned Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev to officially express its outrage over the pact.

In response to criticism of the pact, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov argued that the mutual defence clause was purely defensive and in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. He went on to accuse those criticising the agreement of planning aggression against North Korea or Russia.

While China has made efforts to keep North Korea in check, the elevation of Pyongyang’s relations with Moscow to a strategic alliance provides Pyongyang with an assurance of support in dire situations.

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Putin, Kim sign ‘strongest ever’ defence treaty amid growing tensions with the West

Instability in Northeast Asia is also detrimental to the interests of the US and its allies. The only sustainable way out of this is for all sides to stress diplomatic efforts. While the interests of Washington, Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul all diverge in one area or another, regional stability is one goal each of them would cherish.

The US and China must seek to build mutual trust while mitigating the growing crisis on the Korean peninsula. However difficult coming up with a collaborative approach might be, doing so would serve the interests of everyone in the region.

Gagan Hitkari is a PhD candidate at the Department of East Asian Studies, University of Delhi, India