Name: Russia-North Korea ties examined amidst evolving global dynamics
Uploaded: 2025-10-27T22:45:15.495Z
Duration: 2 min 24 s
Description: Russia and North Korea’s ties date back to the 1940s. Moscow strengthens relations as Pyongyang seeks support amid global isolation.

Russia and North Korea’s ties date back to the 1940s. Moscow strengthens relations as Pyongyang seeks support amid global isolation.

Moscow

Russia and North Korea have maintained a largely positive relationship since the mid-20th century, beginning with the Soviet Union's early recognition of North Korean independence and support for its founding leader, Kim Il-sung. The relationship cooled in the late 20th century as Russia pursued closer ties with the West and South Korea, leading to a reduction in aid to Pyongyang.

Ties improved after Vladimir Putin became president, with renewed declarations of friendship and economic cooperation. Although relations were strained by North Korea's nuclear tests and subsequent Russian support for UN sanctions, the partnership has strengthened in recent years. North Korea has provided support to Russia during its conflict in Ukraine, while reportedly receiving resources and technology in return.

Russia-North Korea ties examined amidst evolving global dynamics

Russia and North Korea share a history of mostly positive relations. This is North Korea's first foreign embassy. The Soviet Union was the first to recognize its independence in 1948. In fact, the nation's founder, Kim Il-sung, was actually exiled to the Soviet Union in the 1930s when he launched a rebellion against Japanese rule. And then he returned home in 1945 to lead a Soviet-backed government. Many historians say that Joseph Stalin inspired his style of leadership. Stalin also supported North Korea in the Korean War. North Korea enjoyed Soviet support all the way till the mid-80s, when Mikhail Gorbachev launched his perestroika, liberalization policies, warming ties with the West, as well as with Seoul, as opposed to Pyongyang. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia's first president, Boris Yeltsin, continued these policies and cut off aid to Pyongyang, which caused some grievances. But ties started warming when Vladimir Putin became Russia's president. There was an official declaration of friendship between Russia and North Korea, and Putin was greeted as a hero during his first visit to Pyongyang in the year 2000. Relations soured in 2006 and later on when North Korea started conducting nuclear tests, and Russia joined UN sanctions against North Korea until it agreed to sign a moratorium against these tests. Things improved a little bit in 2014, when Russia wrote off billions of dollars in North Korean debt, and Pyongyang returned the favor in 2017, recognizing Crimea as part of Russia. In 2022, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, damaging relations with most of the world, but not with Pyongyang. Pyongyang became an ally. It defended Russia in the UN, provided munitions, as well as troops, in 2024, when Ukraine launched an incursion into Russia's Kursk region. Now, this support has helped Russia with its almost four-year war in Ukraine, whereas Pyongyang, in return, is getting, reportedly, resources, hardware, as well as technologies. Dmitry Medvedenko, Al Jazeera, Moscow.

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