KB News Desk
North Korea and Russia signaled plans to deepen their alliance during strategic talks in Moscow, with Pyongyang on Tuesday reaffirming support for Russia’s war in Ukraine in what experts say reflects a growing effort to institutionalize the two countries’ security partnership.
According to the Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Sunday and held high-level talks with her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Monday.
The KCNA released a joint statement saying the talks with Lavrov, which it labeled as “the third strategic dialogue,” focused on implementing the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Putin in June 2024, as well as high-level exchanges, plans for “multifaceted cooperation” and diplomatic coordination on international issues.
In the joint statement, the two sides said they had reached consensus on all agenda items and reaffirmed their commitment to accelerate “the long-term multifaceted development” of bilateral ties “irrespective of the changing situation” under the guidance of their leaders.
The two sides portrayed the talks as an opportunity to advance their comprehensive strategic partnership while pledging to strengthen cooperation in ways they said would contribute to regional and global peace and security.
Moscow reaffirmed its backing for North Korea’s efforts to safeguard its sovereignty. In turn, Pyongyang reiterated its support for Russia’s domestic and foreign policies, including Moscow’s justification for the war in Ukraine, which blames the conflict on what it calls external hegemonic forces rather than Russia’s invasion.
Experts said the diplomatic language points to a continued expansion of military cooperation that has become the centerpiece of North Korea-Russia ties.
“The core of the ‘bilateral relationship’ is military cooperation,” said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies.
According to Lim, North Korea is expected to continue supplying Russia with artillery shells, missiles and other military equipment in support of its war in Ukraine. Moscow could expand transfers of technologies Pyongyang has long sought, including military reconnaissance satellites, nuclear-powered submarines and advanced missile technologies. Russia is also expected to remain an important source of energy supplies, particularly crude oil, for North Korea.
He added that North Korea is seeking to build political leverage by offering steadfast support while Russia remains diplomatically isolated, hoping to secure greater reciprocal benefits from Moscow.
Lim argued that references in the joint statement to addressing “major international issues of mutual concern” likely point to expanded military coordination.
“In Northeast Asia, the two countries regard trilateral security cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan as the principal regional security challenge,” he said. “That could lead to more concrete military cooperation, including closer coordination between their intelligence and military authorities and expanded transfers of sensitive military technologies.”
Yang Moo-jin, a distinguished professor at the University of North Korean Studies, said Choe’s meeting with Putin also carried broader strategic significance.
“The meeting conveyed that the recent improvement in North Korea-China relations does not come at the expense of North Korea-Russia ties,” Yang said.
He added that Putin likely reiterated his invitation for Kim to visit Russia and that the two sides may have discussed the timing of such a trip during the strategic dialogue.
Yang also interpreted Russia’s pledge to support North Korea’s sovereignty and right to development as an implicit acceptance of Pyongyang’s refusal to denuclearize and its claim to nuclear-armed state status.
In return, North Korea reaffirmed unwavering support for Russia’s domestic and foreign policies, including its position on the war in Ukraine, suggesting the two sides may also have discussed additional military assistance for Moscow, Yang said.
He noted that calling the meeting the “third strategic dialogue” signals that bilateral consultations are becoming institutionalized. References to sovereign equality, noninterference and the UN Charter suggest Pyongyang and Moscow are preparing to coordinate efforts at September’s UN General Assembly to push back against the international sanctions regime targeting North Korea.
The timing of Choe’s trip has prompted speculation that it could serve as a precursor to Kim Jong-un’s long-anticipated visit to Russia. Putin extended an invitation to Kim during their June 2024 summit, when the two leaders signed the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, but no visit has been announced.
