North Korea and Russia are becoming closer allies as the geopolitical landscape around the world shifts dramatically. The need to overcome their shared economic, geopolitical, and political challenges as well as to find alternatives to their historical reliance on China is what is driving this new alliance.
One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first official visits since the presidential election in March 2024 was to North Korea. In fact, it was his first visit to the country in the last 24 years, during which countries signed a “Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the DPRK and the Russian Federation,” as the Diplomat reports.
A treaty included a pledge from both nations to support one another in the event of an attack; this was denounced by South Korea, which announced that it is now reevaluating its policy of supplying Ukraine with only nonlethal weapons.
The rapprochement between North Korea and Russia could have significant diplomatic repercussions. It may alter the balance of power in East Asia, challenging China’s predominant influence and complicating the strategic calculations of the United States and its allies. Enhanced ties between Pyongyang and Moscow could also impact negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear program, potentially providing Pyongyang with more leverage in international talks.
At the same time, Reuters reported, citing four diplomats who spoke to them under the condition of anonymity, stated that Russia, the largest nuclear power in the world, would be extremely selective about what technology it shared with Kim.
The effects of these developments on regional stability and international security are still unknown as the world community observes them. But one thing is certain: Russia and North Korea are committed to creating a route that will enable them to successfully negotiate a world that is becoming more complicated and multipolar.
