RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed an agreement today that pledges mutual aid if either country faces “aggression” amid stand-offs with Western nations.

While the details of the deal were not immediately clear, both leaders described it as a major upgrade of their relations, covering security, trade, investment, cultural and humanitarian ties.

North Korea is under heavy UN security council sanctions over its weapons programme, while Russia also faces sanctions by the West over its invasion of Ukraine.