Vladimir Putin‘s visit to North Korea may be used by the Russian President down the line to ask Pyongyang for additional military support – or even manpower, a respected think tank believes.
Putin paid this week his first visit to North Korea in 24 years. This historic move was preceded by an article he penned for North Korean state-owned newspaper Rodong Sinmun in which he widely praised the cooperation between his and Kim Jong-un‘s countries as well as reaffirmed they share a common enemy – the US.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted not many foreign heads of state visit the hermit Asian country, and Putin may have travelled there with a goal in mind.
In its daily assessment of the war in Ukraine, the ISW said: “Putin’s visit to North Korea is also a significant goodwill gesture towards Kim Jong-un as the visit helps legitimise Kim’s pariah regime both domestically and abroad. Foreign heads of state rarely visit North Korea, and Putin last visited North Korea in 2000.
“Putin may be using this visit as flattery to assist in extracting additional aid from North Korea in the future, which may range from additional requests for weapon supplies or even manpower; for example, reports in 2022 suggested that North Korea was considering sending North Korean workers to Russian-occupied Ukraine to help with reconstruction efforts.”
During Putin’s visit to Pyongyang, the leaders of Russia and North Korea signed a pact including a clause requiring them to come to each other’s aid if either is attacked.
During the signing ceremony for the deal, Kim called the agreement the “strongest ever treaty” between the two nations, adding it elevated their relationship to the “higher level of an alliance”.
Putin’s visit highlighted Russia’s attempts, “in desperation, to develop and to strengthen relations with countries that can provide it with what it needs to continue the war of aggression that it started against Ukraine“, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Mr Blinken added: “North Korea is providing significant munitions to Russia … and other weapons for use in Ukraine. Iran has been providing weaponry, including drones, that have been used against civilians and civilian infrastructure.”