WHY IT IS IMPORTANTRussia has drawn closer to North Korea in diplomatic and military ties since its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged visits. In the 2000s, Russia supported UN sanctions against North Korea on the grounds that its nuclear tests threatened to hurt efforts to halt nuclear proliferation. CONTEXTInterfax news agency said Putin on Monday submitted to the State Duma lower house of parliament a text on ratifying a treaty on strategic partnership with North Korea. Ukrainian forensic experts say they have found traces of North Korean weaponry used in attacks on Ukrainian cities.
