UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that Russia must abide by UN sanctions on North Korea, following an agreement between the two countries last week to provide military assistance to each other in case of military aggression. Speaking to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York, Guterres stated that “Any relationship that any country has with DPRK, including the Russian Federation, must entirely abide by those sanctions.”

During a visit to Pyongyang last week, Putin and Kim Jong-un signed a new pact that includes a mutual defense pledge against foreign attacks. The new treaty supersedes previous agreements from 1961, 2000, and 2001. The 1961 treaty notably included a clause for automatic military intervention if either nation was attacked, which was later voided after the collapse of the USSR. The 2000 treaty, on the other hand, did not establish a military alliance.

North Korea has been under UN sanctions since 2006 for its nuclear and ballistic missile program. Since then, the United Nations Security Council has adopted nine resolutions sanctioning North Korea on the country’s nuclear and missile activities. Except Resolution 2087, all the other resolutions include provisions invoking Chapter VII, Article 41 of the United Nations Charter, which allows the Council to take measures not involving the use of armed force to maintain or restore international peace and security, such as economic sanctions, interrupting communications, or severing diplomatic relations.

Putin hailed the agreement as a significant breakthrough, aiming to enhance bilateral relations encompassing security, investment, and cultural exchanges, while criticizing the confrontational and aggressive approach that the US has in the region.

Earlier this week, South Korea summoned the Russian ambassador to protest the defense pact with North Korea, asserting that any cooperation, whether direct or indirect, that enhances North Korea’s military capabilities would breach UN Security Council resolutions and jeopardize South Korea’s security. Seoul warned of potential repercussions for its relations with Moscow.

In response, the Russian Embassy in Seoul noted that such threats were unacceptable and that Russia’s agreement with North Korea does not include prejudices against third countries.

Last month, the US Department of Treasury sanctioned several Russian individuals and companies over the transfer of weapons between Russia and North Korea, including ballistic missiles for use in Ukraine. At the time, Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, dismissed reports of exporting arms to Russia as an absurd paradox aiming to mislead the public.