SEOUL, South Korea — On Tuesday, North Korea officially endorsed a significant military agreement with Russia, which establishes a framework for mutual defense assistance, as reported by state media. This move comes as the U.S., South Korea, and Ukraine accuse North Korea of dispatching thousands of troops to Russia to aid in its conflict against Ukraine.

Last week, Russia finalized the treaty, which had been signed earlier in June by President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. This agreement marks the most substantial defense collaboration between the two nations since the Cold War era.

The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership treaty will come into effect following the mutual exchange of ratification documents, according to the Korean Central News Agency. North Korea approved the treaty with a decree signed by Kim Jong Un in his capacity as president of state affairs.

Although North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly, its legislative body, usually has the authority to approve treaties, Kim has the power to ratify significant agreements independently, as noted by South Korea’s Unification Ministry.

The stipulations of the treaty dictate that both nations must swiftly provide military support using all available resources in the event of an attack on either party. Analysts suggest that the execution of this agreement may indicate that North Korea could formally engage in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine in the near future.

Intelligence reports from the U.S., South Korea, and Ukraine estimate that as many as 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia in correlation with the treaty signed in June. Just last week, Ukrainian officials reported small-scale confrontations between Ukrainian forces and North Korean troops, including artillery fire directed at North Korean positions in the Kursk region of Russia.

The deployment of North Korean forces poses a significant threat to intensifying the nearly three-year-old conflict. Additionally, South Korea, the U.S., and their allies are concerned about the potential exchange of military technology from Russia to North Korea. Such a transfer could enhance North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile capabilities, a scenario that is particularly alarming for the United States and its partners.

The military and cooperative ties between North Korea and Russia have been on the rise. According to South Korea’s intelligence agency, since August 2023, North Korea has supplied over 13,000 containers filled with artillery, missiles, and other conventional weapons to Russia in an effort to replenish its diminishing arsenals.