Russia and North Korea sign partnership deal, vowing closer ties as rivalry deepens with West

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership during a summit in Pyongyang, in a bid to expand their economic and military cooperation and cement a united front against Washington. Putin's visit comes amid growing concerns over an arms arrangement in which North Korea provides Russia with badly needed munitions for Moscow's war in Ukraine in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that could enhance the threat posed by Kim's nuclear weapons and missile program. Russian state media said Putin and Kim spoke face-to-face for about…