What North Korea Thinks About the Russia-Ukraine War
Carlotta Young-Mi Bischke and Sangsoo Lee
Introduction:
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has raised many new security concerns not only for Europe, but also for the rest of the world. In Northeast Asia, Russia’s proximity and strategic impact have all of the regional actors keeping a close eye on Moscow’s political decisions. Under this new geopolitical situation, North Korea seems to be recalibrating its foreign policy agenda to situate itself among the global powers of Russia, China and the US.
Since the beginning of the war, North Korea has been one of only five countries to support Putin by opposing a United Nations (UN) General Assembly Resolution condemning Russia’s invasion, while it blamed the US for being the “root cause of the Ukraine crisis.” In exchange for its political support, North Korea is most likely interested in receiving economic aid from Russia as well as military weapons technologies. Russia may also be more inclined to make use of its veto power at the UN Security Council (UNSC) to support North Korea’s conduct of further intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or potential nuclear tests.
Related Publications
-
Korean Peninsula Tensions Escalate Amid a Return to Old School Policies
Introduction: South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin met his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken on Monday in Washington, D.C. The meeting came three weeks after a summit meeting in Seoul between […]
-
Korean Peninsula Newsletter
The Stockholm Korea Center publishes a weekly newsletter where you can find the most recent informed analysis from prominent think tanks and catch announcements straight from DPRK media. You don’t […]
-
Yoon’s Plan to Ditch Strategic Ambiguity Will Test US-ROK Alliance, DPRK Policy
Introduction: While Yoon has questioned the Moon administration’s policy of strategic ambiguity with regard to the U.S.-China rivalry, the new South Korean President will likely find it difficult to abandon […]
-
South Korea’s Relations With China and the US Under President-elect Yoon
Introduction: The presidential election in South Korea was a close call. President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol from the People Power Party won the election with a margin of 0.8 percentage points over […]
-
With New Law on Nuclear Forces Policy, North Korea Says Its Nuclear Status Is ‘Irreversible’
Introduction: A day before the 74th anniversary of the country’s founding, North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un publicly declared that his nuclear weapons are no longer a bargaining chip […]
-
From Europe, Yoon Suk Yeol Calls for International Cooperation on North Korea’s Nuclear and Missile Threats
Introduction: The leaders of the United States, South Korea, and Japan met in Madrid on Wednesday. Held on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meetings this week, the trilateral […]