Putin’s visit to North Korea is an admission of the arms requirements of the conflict in Ukraine, which he set off more than two years ago. The meeting symbolizes a turning point, given the history of these two countries.
20 June 2024 — Vladimir Putin had not visited North Korea for almost a quarter of a century. His first visit came shortly after his accession to power in 2000, when Seoul’s “sunshine policy” toward Pyongyang had raised hopes for improved relations on the peninsula – which were, alas, dashed. Russia subsequently supported the international sanctions adopted against the North Korean regime in retaliation for its nuclear program, in the name of the legitimate effort to combat the dangers of nuclear proliferation.
Necessity has set the rules for the Russian regime, which, in record time, has become one of the most heavily sanctioned in the world. This is an unfortunate distinction it shares with its host of the day, as well as with the Iranian regime, which has also been targeted for its military nuclear ambitions, and which also supplies Russia with weapons such as armed drones.
By gracing the master of Pyongyang with his presence on June 19th, his Kremlin counterpart – who can no longer travel internationally because of the arrest warrant issued for him by the International Criminal Court – is rewarding him for blindly supporting his war of aggression against Ukraine. Yet he is also, above all, admitting to the arms requirements for this conflict, which was set off more than two years ago. This symbolizes a turning point, given the history of these two countries.
The visit comes a few months after Moscow completed its break with its prior stance on Pyongyang, at the UN Security Council in March. With its veto, Russia effectively blocked the UN sanctions monitoring system against Kim’s regime. The two leaders gathered in the North Korean capital have made a habit of making irresponsible threats to use tactical nuclear weapons against their enemies.
“Fiery friendship”
The strategic axis staged in the North Korean capital is openly anti-Western. Pyongyang’s aggressive behavior towards South Korea, a U.S. ally, has intensified in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The previous meeting between Putin and the North Korean leader on Russian territory in September 2023 did not result in any announcements. However, the current meeting is characterized by their concluding significant agreements designed to strengthen the “fiery friendship” that exists between the two countries, according to Kim.
In exchange for opening up his country’s arsenals, mainly to supply shells and ballistic missiles, or providing manpower that is beginning to be in short supply due to the waves of Russian mobilization, Kim could receive vital food aid and Russian expertise in military satellites. These promises of a protracted war in Ukraine and an even more threatening North Korea are therefore very bad news indeed.
Western countries aren’t the only ones paying attention to this visit by Putin, who has become indebted to China as a result of Western sanctions. However, China may not necessarily look favorably on cooperation that enables North Korea to free itself, in part, from its dependence on Beijing, and thereby become even more unpredictable.