Russia-North Korea Relations: More Than a Marriage of Convenience?

Abstract

This article examines the political and military developments in Russia–North Korea relations since the start of Russia's full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine. Against the backdrop of limited post-Cold War relations and China's influence over both its neighbors, the scope and depth of developments between Moscow and Pyongyang is significant, with converging interests for both parties in the short and long run. However, there is also a danger of overestimating the extent of their coordination and cooperation, as well as drawing conclusions about the emergence of a trilateral partnership between Russia, North Korea, and China.