Background Information
North Korea is one of the most isolated countries in the world and its relationship with the west has been strained for decades. It is widely believed that North Korea does not have the same relationship with Russia as it does with the west mainly due to its nuclear weapons development program. However, recent events have suggested that the two countries are forming closer ties.
In April 2018, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made an unprecedented visit to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin. This historic meeting was the first time in over a decade that a North Korean leader had visited Russia and was seen as an effort by Russia to foster closer ties with North Korea.
Shortly after the meeting, the two countries announced that they had agreed to cooperate on a number of areas, including trade, infrastructure, and technology. This sparked speculation that North Korea was looking to join Russia in a number of economic initiatives.
Russia’s Interest
Russia has long been interested in forging closer ties with North Korea, primarily due to its strategic location in the Far East. For Moscow, a closer relationship with North Korea would provide a gateway to the lucrative markets of China, South Korea, and Japan.
In addition, Russia also hopes to benefit from North Korea’s technological advancements, particularly in terms of nuclear energy. Moscow believes the cooperation could help it further its goals of becoming a technological leader in the region.
North Korea’s Interest
For North Korea, closer ties with Russia could help the country improve its economy, which has been in a state of decline in recent years. North Korea is also looking to benefit from Russia’s advanced military technology.
In addition, North Korea is also hoping that closer ties with Russia could help it alleviate the pressure that it is under from international sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries.
Implications
The implications of closer ties between North Korea and Russia are far-reaching, both in terms of the region’s security and the global economy.
First, closer ties between the two countries could have a major impact on the security of the Asia-Pacific region. As the two countries cooperate on a number of strategic and military issues, these closer ties could lead to an increase in tensions between North Korea and the United States.
Second, closer ties between North Korea and Russia could see an influx of investments into North Korea, which could help the country bolster its struggling economy. This could in turn lead to an increase in trade between the two countries and a greater integration of their economies.
Third, closer ties between North Korea and Russia could also lead to an improvement in relations between the two countries and the rest of the world. Greater cooperation could lead to a more productive dialogue between the two countries and could potentially lead to greater reforms in North Korea.
Nuclear Capabilities
Closer ties between North Korea and Russia are also likely to have an impact on the North’s nuclear capabilities. Russia has traditionally been less hawkish on North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and, as such, could potentially be an ally for Pyongyang in its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
In addition, the two countries have already agreed to cooperate on nuclear safety and non-proliferation, which could lead to a greater degree of safety and security in the region.
Sanctions
Closer ties between North Korea and Russia could also have an impact on international sanctions imposed on the North.
Russia has been critical of the sanctions imposed on North Korea and could potentially use its closer ties with the country to pressure other countries to ease or even remove the sanctions. This could lead to an increase in trade and investment into North Korea.
In addition, closer ties could also lead to greater dialogue between the two countries on security and other regional issues. This could potentially lead to a reduction in tensions between the two countries, and ultimately could lead to a peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue.
Russia’s Foreign Policy
Closer ties between North Korea and Russia could also have a major impact on Russia’s foreign policy.
Russia has traditionally sought to cultivate close relations with its neighboring countries and, as such, a closer relationship with North Korea could have far-reaching implications.
For example, it could lead to an increase in trade and investment between the two countries, and could potentially lead to an improvement in the overall security of the region.
In addition, closer ties could also lead to an improvement in relations between the two countries and the rest of the world. This would be beneficial for both parties and could potentially lead to greater reforms in North Korea.
Analysis
Although it is still too early to say whether North Korea will eventually join Russia in any meaningful way, it is obvious that the two countries are interested in deepening their relationship.
This could have significant implications for the region’s security, the global economy, and Russia’s foreign policy. Furthermore, it could also lead to an improvement in North Korea’s relations with the rest of the world, which would be beneficial for all parties involved.
Ultimately, only time will tell how close North Korea and Russia will become, but it is clear that the two countries are interested in cultivating a closer relationship.
Conclusion
North Korea’s relationship with Russia is of great importance to both countries. Russia sees an opportunity to benefit from North Korea’s strategic location and technological advances. North Korea also hopes to benefit from closer economic ties and security cooperation. The implications of a closer relationship are far-reaching and could have a major impact on regional security and the global economy. Only time will tell how close North Korea and Russia will become, but it is clear that the two countries are interested in deepening their relationship.
