Russia-DPRK Partnership: Implications for the West
![](https://www.isdp.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/660x370_China_Russia_North_Korea_chess_shutterstock.png)
Riccardo Villa and Mats Engman
This issue brief examines the evolving relationship between the DPRK and Russia, particularly since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The partnership has deepened, with North Korea supporting Russia diplomatically and receiving military and economic aid in return. This alliance, formalized during Putin’s 2024 visit to Pyongyang, has significant implications for regional stability and global geopolitics, including for Europe. The DPRK-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership encompasses military, economic, and technological cooperation, challenging U.S.-ROK alliance strategies and potentially intensifying regional arms races and provocations. The DPRK’s selective engagement strategy underscores its prioritization of relationships that bolster its security and economic interests amidst global tensions.
Related Publications
-
ISDP Annual Report 2023
ISDP’s Annual Report for the year 2023. We look back on 2023, a year in which tensions and conflicts captured the strategic space in ISDP’s focus areas, making headlines around […]
-
What Comes Next for North Korea-Russia Relations?
North Korea and Russia have taken their relations to a new level after the leaders of the two countries held an in-person summit meeting on Wednesday. While Pyongyang and Moscow […]
-
South Korea’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and the IPEF: Convergence and Commonality
For some time now, the existing multilateral networks such as those of the United Nations (UN) system have been largely ineffective in providing good global governance and helping create resilience, […]
-
Risk Reduction and Crisis Management on the Korean Peninsula
The situation on the Korean Peninsula is inherently intertwined with the growing instability of the East Asian security environment, where high tensions significantly increase the risk of unintended incidents and armed […]
-
Washington Declaration: Beyond Korea, What it Means for India?
In April 2023, South Korea and the United States released the Washington Declaration to reiterate and upgrade their treaty alliance. In outlining a joint nuclear deterrence strategy, the Declaration reaffirmed […]