An expert has raised concerns over the deepening ties between Russia and North Korea, especially as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warns of a potential Kremlin-led invasion of Europe.
The strategic alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang began in June 2024 with the signing of a defense pact. Since then, Russia has provided North Korea with medicine, coal, and food, while Pyongyang has sent approximately 12,000 troops to support Russian forces in Ukraine’s ongoing three-year war. Additionally, the Russian envoy to North Korea recently disclosed that hundreds of wounded Russian soldiers are receiving medical treatment in North Korea.
It has also emerged that thousands of North Korean workers have taken construction jobs in Russia—an apparent violation of UN Security Council sanctions imposed in 2017. These sanctions required North Korean laborers abroad to return home within 24 months, following Kim Jong Un’s intercontinental ballistic missile tests.
While Russia and China had initially supported these sanctions, Dr. Edward Howell, a North Korea expert and lecturer at Christ Church College, University of Oxford, noted that "both nations have failed to enforce them strictly." He explained that North Korean workers overseas are closely monitored, making defection rare.
According to Howell, the evolving relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang, which began as a "transactional cash-for-munitions exchange," has now transformed into a "more strategic and ideological alliance." He believes this partnership, alongside growing cooperation with China and Iran, aims to challenge the US-led postwar international order.
North Korean troops have reportedly been deployed to Russian frontlines, including in the Kursk region, to bolster the Kremlin’s military efforts.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump recently posted on Truth Social about his separate discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky, claiming the talks were productive and could lead to "successful" negotiations.
However, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's latest remarks on Russia’s war in Ukraine have unsettled NATO allies. While advocating for "robust security guarantees" to ensure lasting peace, he made it clear that Ukraine should not expect direct American military support.
"To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be US troops deployed to Ukraine," Hegseth stated, signaling a shift in US policy amid Moscow’s escalating aggression.
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