North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui is scheduled to hold talks with her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Russia on Monday as the two countries strengthen their economic, political, and military ties. As Russia’s international isolation has increased due to its involvement in the Ukraine war, analysts believe Moscow sees more value in its relationship with North Korea. While North Korea has not always had warm relations with Russia, the country is reaping the benefits of Moscow’s need for alliances.
On Sunday, North Korea tested a new solid-fuel hypersonic missile with intermediate range, a move that was condemned by the United States, South Korea, and Japan. Choe and her delegation departed Pyongyang for Russia the same day, according to state news agency KCNA. Choe’s three-day visit comes as the United States and its allies accused Russia of firing North Korean-made ballistic missiles and other weapons against targets in Ukraine.
Moscow and Pyongyang have denied arms deals but have pledged to enhance cooperation in all areas and have held a series of high-level meetings since the previous year, including a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Russia.
Artyom Lukin, of Russia’s Far Eastern Federal University, stated, “Given that the Russia-North Korea relationship is shaping up to be quite multi-faceted, all kinds of issues can be discussed between Lavrov and Choe. If she meets the Russian president, this may be another indication that Putin will visit Pyongyang this year.” Lukin also suggested that the latest missile test was likely unrelated to Choe’s trip.
In July, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Pyongyang and toured a weapons exhibit that included North Korea’s banned ballistic missiles, demonstrating the deepening ties between the two countries. Kim’s trip to Russia followed, marking his first foreign visit since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lukin added, “In a nutshell, North Korea feels increasingly insecure and vulnerable vis-a-vis South Korea. Russia is currently the only power that can help enhance Pyongyang’s military-strategic security.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the visit would include negotiations, but did not provide further details. She also predicted that the trip would stir speculation in the West. “Westerners are constantly bringing up the story that Russia is somehow behaving differently again, has no right to communicate with North Korea. We have the right to do whatever we consider necessary, taking into account the fact that we constantly declare respect for international law,” Zakharova said on state TV channel Rossiya-1 on Sunday.
In October, Choe criticized the United States and its allies for politicizing and distorting their suspected arms deliveries to Russia, while vowing that ties between Moscow and Pyongyang would reach a “new higher phase.” Russia and North Korea have not commented specifically on the allegations of Moscow using North Korean missiles in Ukraine. Anthony Rinna, a specialist in Korea-Russia relations at Sino-NK, a website that analyzes the region, stated, “Russia has been more openly willing to flaunt sanctions against Pyongyang, and appears increasingly less interested in multilateral efforts to curb North Korean provocations, especially since the Kremlin does not view North Korea as a direct threat to Russia.”
(Reporting by Josh Smith; Additional reporting by Hyunsu Yim in Seoul and Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Jamie Freed)
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