WASHINGTON, June 20. /TASS/. Deepening security cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang could be a new challenge for Washington in the Asia-Pacific Region, researchers of the Washington-based Institute for Responsible Government James Park and Mark Episkopos said in an article published on the US Responsible Statecraft website.

"[Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s visit to Pyongyang will presumably serve to reinforce Russia and North Korea’s comprehensive strategic ties, potentially introducing new joint efforts by the two countries to cooperate on navigating their strategic challenges, including overcoming US-mobilized sanctions and filling each other’s military deficiencies to some extent," the article reads.

"It remains to be seen if Moscow will bear the risks and costs associated with pursuing a deeper form of Russia-North Korea security cooperation, which notably include drawing Beijing’s ire. If the Kremlin goes down this path, it could pose a new regional challenge for Washington and its allies that is distinct from the China-US rivalry in the Asia-Pacific and may spark calls for additional American reassurances to South Korea," the experts believe.

Putin paid a state visit to Pyongyang on June 18-19. It was a return visit at Kim’s invitation. Kim invited Putin to visit North Korea when he was on a visit to Russia in September 2023. Putin’s talks with North Korea leader Kim Jong Un yielded a treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership, and agreement on cooperation in the areas of medicine, medical education and science, as well as an agreement on the construction of a motor bridge across the River Tumannaya on the border between the two countries.