Russian President Putin reinforces connections with North Korea's Kim Jong-un prior to the upcoming US-Russia summit.
Russia and North Korea Deepen Ties Amidst Ukraine Conflict and US-North Korea Negotiations
In a significant development, the relationship between Russia and North Korea has taken on renewed significance in 2024-2025, with the two nations intensifying their military cooperation and political alignment.
Historically, the alliance between the two countries has been grounded in ideological alignment and mutual opposition to the US and its allies. Post-Cold War, this cooperation has continued, albeit often limited by international sanctions and the geopolitical climate. However, in recent years, the collaboration has become more transparent and intense.
Since at least early 2024, military cooperation between Russia and North Korea has been on the rise. Reports suggest that North Korea has provided arms transfers to Russia, while Russia has supplied military technology and trained North Korean troops on its soil. This cooperation has been described as "unlawful military cooperation" by the UN's Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT).
The Security Council held open and closed briefings in 2025 highlighting these violations and the ongoing Russian vetoes against extending panels monitoring North Korea sanctions, underscoring political tensions at the UN over the issue.
In August 2025, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call where they agreed to deepen bilateral collaboration. This agreement signalled ongoing and possibly expanding ties between the two nations.
The DPRK's military support to Russia could bolster Moscow's capabilities amid its ongoing conflict in Ukraine, representing a geopolitically significant alignment opposed to Western sanctions and efforts. For US-North Korea negotiations, this partnership complicates diplomatic leverage and trust. North Korea’s growing closeness to Russia might harden Pyongyang’s stance in denuclearization talks or sanctions compliance, given Russia's geopolitical conflicts with the US and its allies.
The cooperation might also signal a broader strategic realignment of North Korea toward Russia and away from any US-led negotiation framework, potentially undermining peace and non-proliferation efforts.
In a potential twist, analysts suggest that if Trump and Putin agree on a Ukraine peace deal, Putin could convey Kim's stance on Trump's North Korea-related interests, potentially including a conditional summit on nuclear disarmament. If Russia-Ukraine peace talks gather momentum, they could have a positive spillover effect on US-North Korea and inter-Korean dialogue.
However, newly elected President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea has taken a different approach, saying he would seek talks with the North without preconditions. This could potentially open a new chapter in the complex and tense relationship between the two Koreas.
References: [1] https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-violating-un-sanctions-with-military-cooperation-russia-report-2021-06-10/ [2] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/10/world/asia/north-korea-russia-sanctions-un.html [3] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58274682 [4] https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-sent-troops-russias-kursk-region-aided-war-effort-ukrainian-official-2022-03-02/
- the increased military cooperation and political alignment between Russia and North Korea in 2024-2025 is a significant development in the arena of war-and-conflicts and general-news;
- the deepened ties between the two nations, as indicated by the phone call between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin in August 2025, could have geopolitical implications for the course of politics, especially in the context of US-North Korea negotiations.
