North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenka have officially signed a new friendship treaty, aiming to significantly strengthen cooperation between their respective nations.
Lukashenka declared that these deepening ties were entering a “new phase,” while Kim Jong Un underscored their shared opposition to persistent Western pressures on Belarus. Both countries are firm allies of Vladimir Putin’s Russia, having consistently supported Moscow throughout the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
This agreement comes at a time when Lukashenka is navigating a delicate balance in relations between Moscow and Washington, following recent contacts with envoys representing Donald Trump.
Kim Jong Un hosted the Belarusian leader with a lavish and elaborate ceremony, a clear demonstration of the visit’s symbolic importance, particularly given the historically limited economic ties between the two states.
In Belarus, opposition figures have sharply criticized the meeting, dismissing it as a “gathering of dictators” and asserting that such an alliance offers no tangible benefits or advantages to ordinary citizens.