A potential visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea could lead to increased military cooperation between the two nations, violating UN Security Council resolutions, officials from South Korea and the United States cautioned on Friday.
South Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister, Kim Hong-kyun, in an emergency phone call with US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, expressed that Putin’s visit should not result in further military collaboration between Pyongyang and Moscow. Campbell assured continued cooperation to address potential regional instability and challenges stemming from the trip.
“While closely monitoring related developments, the two sides agreed to resolutely respond through airtight cooperation to North Korea’s provocations against South Korea and actions that escalate tensions in the region,” stated Seoul’s foreign ministry.
On Wednesday, a senior official from Seoul’s presidential office indicated that Putin might visit North Korea “in the coming days.” Russia’s Vedomosti newspaper reported that Putin is expected to visit North Korea and Vietnam in the coming weeks. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not provide a date or agenda for the visit but affirmed Russia’s right to strengthen ties with North Korea.
Officials in Washington, Seoul, and Kyiv, along with UN sanctions monitors and independent experts, have reported that Russia has used North Korean-made missiles and artillery shells to target Ukraine. Despite denying arms deals, North Korea and Russia have pledged to deepen their cooperation, including military relations.
Speaking at the Stimson Centre think tank in Washington, Campbell noted that the US has a strong understanding of what North Korea has supplied to Russia, which has had “a substantial impact on the battlefield.” However, he expressed uncertainty over what Russia has provided North Korea, speculating it could be “hard currency, energy, or capabilities to advance their nuclear or missile programmes.”
In March, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines testified to Congress that Russia, driven by its needs in the Ukraine war, has made some “long-sought concessions” to North Korea, China, and Iran, potentially undermining non-proliferation norms. Haines warned that Russia might provide North Korea with military-related technology.
Haines emphasised that this growing cooperation allows these countries to enhance their capabilities, undermine the rules-based order, and gain some insulation from international pressure. However, the US intelligence community assesses that these relationships, including between Moscow and Pyongyang, will remain “far short” of formal alliances due to parochial interests and mutual wariness.
Follow us on:
