From Isolation to Alliance:

The Emerging Russia -North Korea Nexus

In the shadow of Cold War remnants, an unexpected alliance has quietly gained momentum. As the world watches Ukrainian cities fall under siege, a less visible but equally strategic partnership is taking shape between Russia and North Korea. What led Russia and North Korea to come closer?

Russia, being the most sanctioned country in the world and isolated by Western sanctions, finds itself embroiled in a protracted conflict in Ukraine. Seeking new alliances to counterbalance its isolation, Russia has turned to North Korea—a hermit kingdom with its own set of defiant aspirations and a long history of estrangement from the global community 

 According to recent data Russia has roughly 19300 sanctions and North Korea has 2172 sanctions

Even before the Ukraine conflict started, Russia was never seen as a trusted and open country. It was regularly caught in diplomatic rows with the West, which never allowed Cold War-era diplomacy to come to an end ,hence there was no improvement in relations between Russia and the West. The diplomatic spat between the West and Russia were akin to accumulating gunpowder on the ground, and the Ukraine conflict became the burning matchstick that further inflamed unstable diplomatic ties. As Russia faced sanctions, the icy corridors of the Kremlin resonated with plans for new diplomatic ventures. Meanwhile, in the secretive halls of Pyongyang, echoes of decade-old missile ambitions hinted at a future strategy for building new and advanced missiles. However, sanctions restricted the import of necessary materials.

In late 2023, as economic sanctions tightened around Russia, President Putin extended an olive branch to Kim Jong-un. A series of clandestine meetings culminated in a pact: Russia would supply North Korea with advanced weaponry and technology, and in return, North Korea would offer crucial military support and resources, filling gaps left by Western sanctions. It is a relationship with mutual benefits for both the Kremlin and Pyongyang. 

 Like every partnership, these alliance was not free of hurdles. At home President Putin faced internal dissent over aligning with a rouge state, some also feared it would make west and specially USA angrier. While North Korea grappled with maintaining its precarious balance of power without alienating its few remaining allies specially China. As time grew the hurdles were swallowed. 

In 2024, Vladimir Putin visited North Korea to meet his counterpart Kim Jong-un. They surprisingly agreed to a landmark pact stating they would provide immediate military assistance if either faced armed aggression. This pact raised alarms worldwide.

The entire geopolitical landscape has now shifted, especially in Asia, where tensions were already high due to conflicts between North and South Korea. Simultaneously, Japan and North Korea are at odds, while discontent between Russia and Japan over the Kuril Islands grows. China, on the other hand, has escalated its aggression in the South China Sea. Moreover, Russia and North Korea share a common adversary—the USA.

The  situation indicates the new nexus between Russia and North Korea is going to cause unease and heat in many parts of the world. As these this partnership forges ahead one must ask : What forced these countries to form a sudden alliance ? In a world of shifting alliances and unpredictable conflicts, what new axis will emerge next ?