MOSCOW

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday that relations between Russia and North Korea have reached "a qualitatively new level."

Responding to a question from Anadolu at a press briefing in Moscow, Zakharova said a 2024 treaty signed by the leaders of the two countries paved the way for significant improvements in relations.

"During the historic Pyongyang Summit on June 19, 2024, leaders of our countries -- President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and Chairman Kim Jong Un -- signed a treaty establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership. This elevated bilateral relations to a qualitatively new level," she said.

Zakharova highlighted that the treaty establishes fundamental principles for strengthening cooperation and strategic interaction in an array of priority areas.

"We believe that this treaty fully meets the interests of the peoples of both countries and contributes to achieving common goals in shaping a fair multipolar world order," she added.

The spokeswoman noted that a subsequent leaders' meeting on Sept. 3 in Beijing provided an opportunity to confirm the "mutual commitment to expanding mutually beneficial cooperation despite complexities in the global environment."

When asked how Russia views the US role in providing security guarantees to Ukraine, Zakharova said Washington could urge Kyiv to return to the provisions of its 1990 Declaration on State Sovereignty.

"We have repeatedly stated that the best security guarantees for Ukraine are restoring its neutral, non-aligned, and non-nuclear status, which is enshrined in the Declaration on State Sovereignty adopted in 1990," she said.

She noted that these principles, along with commitments from guarantor states, were included in the 2022 draft peace agreement.

"I will remind you that this scheme fully satisfied the Kyiv regime. However, under British pressure, as you know, they abandoned negotiations and withdrew from the negotiation process," she said.

She added that Ukraine has always been proud of this declaration, and its provisions have never been questioned.

"I am confident that the current US administration has every capability to encourage the Ukrainian leadership to end the so-called conflict, eliminate its root causes, and return to their origins of statehood," Zakharova said.

She concluded that the declaration "constitutes the foundation of their statehood, guaranteeing Ukraine's security, and can serve as a cornerstone for future peace."