Moscow Mates

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will sign a long-awaited strategic partnership pact following talks on Friday, in an effort to shore up resistance to the West in the wake of sanctions over the Ukraine invasion that began almost three years ago, Politico reported.

Pezeshkian is set to make an official visit to Moscow on Jan. 17, where the two world leaders will discuss expanding cooperation between the nations in talks focused on trade, investment, “and current issues on the regional and international agenda,” according to a statement released by the Kremlin.

More critically, the talks are to cement the expanding military and political partnerships between the two countries.

Moscow’s ties with the Iranian regime have intensified since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow has also strengthened ties with other countries hostile to the United States and Europe, such as North Korea, according to Reuters.

Putin signed a similar agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June, in which both countries agreed to militarily support each other in the event of an aggression, reported Politico.

So far, about 300 North Korean soldiers have died fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine, and around 2,700 troops have been wounded, according to Al-Jazeera.

The United States accused Iran in September of delivering close-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the war, and imposed sanctions on companies and ships it suspected were involved in delivering weapons Iranian weapons.

Iran had admitted it provided Shahed drones to Russia months before the Ukraine war but denied the larger involvement or that drones had been sent following the invasion.