Russia’s lower house of parliament ratified an overarching partnership treaty with North Korea on Thursday. The agreement takes the military cooperation between the two countries to a new level and stipulates that they will provide mutual assistance should either country be attacked. It was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang in June, but had to then be approved by the Russian Duma. “The treaty takes full account of the current geopolitical situation,” said the head of the Duma’s foreign affairs committee, Leonid Slutsky. The ratification…