By Daniel DePetris
North Korea and Russia have a long, deep history dating to the beginning of the Cold War, when Moscow was the chief arms supplier and political backer of the Kim family dynasty. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s one-on-one meeting this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome space facility in Russia’s Far East has brought the bilateral relationship to the front pages.
Yet amid all of the headlines, it’s important not to get too carried away about what this meeting represents. Footage of Kim and Putin nonchalantly walking together like long-lost brothers might suggest the two are flirting with a strategic alliance, but the reality is more complicated. Indeed, were it not for Russia’s struggling war in Ukraine, North Korea would most likely still be an afterthought for the Russian foreign policy establishment.
This piece was originally published in MSNBC on September 13, 2023. Read more HERE.