'Sovereignization' Of Russia-DPKR Relations Already Exists

On June 19, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin headed a delegation of top Russian officials to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPKR) capital Pyongyang for a state visit to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The delegation included, inter alia, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Deputy Defense Minister Alexey Krivoruchko, and Yury Borisov, director of Roscosmos, the Russian State Corporation for Space Activities.[1]

During the visit, the two leaders signed the "Treaty on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," the key provision of which worth noting is the "immediate mutual assistance in case of aggression against any of the countries."[2]

As Putin stated in an article published in North Korean Rodong Sinmun newspaper on the eve of the visit, "Pyongyang has always been our committed and like-minded supporter, ready to confront the ambition of the collective West to prevent the emergence of a multipolar world order based on justice, mutual respect for sovereignty and consideration of each other's interests."[3] The treaty signed during the visit, in turn, unambiguously shows that DPRK has become not just Russia's "like-minded supporter" but a full-scale military ally.

(Source: Vladimir Smirnov/POOL/TASS)

'Mutual Assistance In The Event Of Aggression Against One Of The Parties'

Following the Russia-North Korea talks, Putin said: "The Treaty on Comprehensive Partnership signed today contemplates, among other things, mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties thereto."[4]

He then added that the decision to increase military and technological cooperation with DPRK had come in response to Western measures against Russia: "I would like to draw your attention to the statement from the United States and other NATO countries about the supply of long-range high-precision weapons, F-16 aircraft and other technology-intensive arms and equipment for delivering strikes at Russian territory. In fact, it was not just a statement. It is already happening. This is a grave violation of the restrictions to which the Western countries committed under various international obligations."[5]

Putin stressed: "In this context, the Russian Federation does not rule out developing military and technical cooperation with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea under the document signed today. Our Korean friends take objective and balanced stance on Ukraine settlement and understand the true original causes of this crisis."[6]

It is worth noting that the treaty between DPRK and Russia follows Putin's statements at the meeting with heads of international news agencies, on June 5, 2024, on the eve of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, about supplying weapons to long-range missiles to other countries to strike the West. He said: "We believe that if someone is thinking that it is possible to supply [...] weapons to a war zone in order to deliver strikes at our territory and to create problems for us, why can we not supply our weapons of the same class to those regions around the world where they will target sensitive facilities of the countries that are doing this to Russia? The response could be symmetrical. We will give it a thought."[7]

Using DPRK Capabilities In The Ukrainian Conflict?

In response to a question from Parlamentskaya Gazeta on whether mutual arm supplies between Russia and DPRK are possible, First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Vladimir Dzhabarov said: "Yes, and I don't see anything wrong with that. Especially since North Korea manufactured their weapons to the same standards as us."[8]

Vadim Kozyulin, research fellow at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted: "The concept of 'aggression' can be widely interpreted. In fact, regular U.S. threats to the DPRK and military exercises of Western countries in the region may become a reason to invoke the provisions of the treaty. [...] Thus, Moscow's military assistance to Pyongyang can be justified by the realities already in place."[9]

At the same time, another Russian military expert, Alexey Leonkov, told Vzglyad that Russian military support could be very useful for DPRK in terms of renewal of North Korean missile and air defense as well as means of electromagnetic warfare, while the DPRK could provide Russian military industry with long-standing orders.[10]

In an article published by Gazeta.ru, Russian military expert Mikhail Khodaryonok wrote that the DPRK is now most interested in a renewal of its air and missile forces, and that the cooperation could develop in this direction. Kim Jong Un, he said, may be interested in testing products of the North Korean military industry, and is looking for a theatre of military actions to carry out such a test.[11] Khodaryonok seemed to be hinting at Ukraine.

However, during a press conference in Vietnam, where he arrived following his state visit to the DPRK, Putin said, in the matter of using DPRK capabilities in the Ukrainian conflict: "We are not asking anyone to do this, and no one has offered this to us, so there is no need for it."[12]

China Will Not Be Excited About 'A New Deterrent At Its Borders'

Kommersant political observer Dmitry Drize expressed doubt that the Treaty on Comprehensive Partnership would be beneficial for the Korean Peninsula: "According to Vladimir Putin, everything that is happening will be a deterrent and will not give a reason for escalation on the Korean Peninsula. Although it might seem that everything is happening exactly the opposite. It is not noticeable that South Korea and Japan would express great enthusiasm about it."[13] Drize then added that also China too would not be excited about "a new 'deterrent' at its borders."[14]

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Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov also told the Izvestiya news outlet that bilateral interaction between the two countries helps to decrease the damage from Western sanctions. He said: "Certainly, restrictions are in place. However, mechanisms of, so to say, sovereignization of relations exist. And such mechanism may well be engaged; this mitigates adverse consequences from the given illegal restrictions in effect against our countries."[15]