FT: Growing Moscow-Pyongyang ties could defy Western pressure even after Ukraine conflict

The growing military partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang is expected to bolster both countries’ ability to withstand Western sanctions and pressure, even after the conflict in Ukraine winds down.

Alongside deepening defense ties, economic cooperation between Russia and North Korea is also expanding. North Korean apples have recently appeared on shelves in Russian supermarkets, and DPRK exporters are actively seeking to increase their presence in the Russian market.

According to the Financial Times, North Korean fishing vessels are increasingly seen near Russia’s Far Eastern coastline. Additionally, North Korean producers of various goods—from jam and sausages to beer and even accordions—have registered trademarks in Russia.

Moscow is investing $100 million in a new road bridge over the Tumyn River along their shared land border, and plans are underway to restore a 10,000-kilometer railway link connecting the two capitals. Over the past year, North Korean university officials have visited Vladivostok for academic exchanges, North Korean athletes have competed in Russian sports events, and Russian theater groups have performed in Pyongyang.

Despite North Korea’s economy largely depending on coal, concrete, and industrial plastics, supported mainly by supplies from China, it has also generated hundreds of millions of dollars through sophisticated cryptocurrency hacking schemes.

Peter Ward, a senior fellow at the Sejong Institute, suggests that Moscow’s support could have a “truly transformative” effect on North Korea’s mining and agricultural sectors.

However, Andrei Lankov, a North Korea expert at Seoul’s Kookmin University, cautions that trade benefits for Russia may remain limited, as North Korean goods hold little appeal to Russian importers.

Experts emphasise that beyond trade, the strategic military alliance between Russia and the DPRK offers both countries greater leverage to counterbalance Western influence.

Victor Cha, chairman of the Korea Center for Strategic International Studies in Washington, further warned that Russian funding and technology could accelerate progress in North Korea’s weapons development programs.

By Khagan Isayev