For the first time, Pyongyang confirmed the sending of troops to support Russia in the war against Ukraine and Moscow thanked pomp. Why now? What is at stake in this diplomatic and military dance between two strongly sanctioned regimes at international level?
Russia had to declare victory at the Battle of Kursk so that North Korea would leave the shadows and confirm what was already widely denounced by Western secret services: the presence of thousands of North Korean soldiers on Russian soil, fighting alongside Moscow troops.
In a rare and calculated statement, Vladimir Putin broke the silence and publicly thanked the North Korean soldiers for the “heroism and dedication.” “They defended our homeland as if it were theirs,” said the Russian President. In Pyongyang, Kim Jong-un replied with monument celebrations and promises to eternalize the military deeds of the alliance between the two countries.
But why does this recognition happen now? What leads North Korea and Russia to openly assume this military collaboration at such a delicate moment of conflict?
For Azeredo Lopes, commentator of CNN Portugal, the explanation is clear: it is easy to assume participation when you feel that you are winning.
“When there is a victory or when a part considers it won, this victory becomes sweet and suddenly it is much easier to assume participation. North Korea wants to associate what they seem to be favorable winds for Russia: not only in Kursk, but especially in the progress of the process for peace. It means a huge promotion for Pyongyang,” says the expert in CNN Portugal.
Major-General Agostinho Costa, a security and defense expert, sees Putin’s gesture a geopolitical move with several layers. On the one hand, a direct reward to Kim Jong-un; On the other hand, an unmistakable message to enemies.
“It’s a huge gift to the North Korean regime. Kremlin wanted to give his alliance with North Korea a boost. Sharing the laurels of military victory has a huge symbolic and political value. North Korea is now presented as an ally of combat. And at the same time it is a way of telling the international community. points.
For Major General Agostinho Costa, the key to understanding this moment is in a treaty signed in June 2024: the new strategic partnership agreement between Russia and North Korea. It is the largest defense agreement between the two countries since the end of the Cold War. In it, both regimes are committed to using “all available means” to support each other in case of external aggression.
This covenant – ignored or underestimated by many – now reveals all its depth. As he openly thanked, Putin reinforces the alliance and sends a clear message: if North Korea is attacked, Russia will be there. This is what Agostinho Costa defines as “a message to South Korea and the US,” countries that recently increased the joint military exercises in the Pacific and have warned of Pyongyang’s growing nuclear threat.
However, there is a geopolitical cost in this play. Azeredo Lopes points to the flagrant violations of international law and the sanction regime against Pyongyang. “North Korea violates international law by participating in an armed conflict alongside the aggressor because it is being associated with the illicit committed by Russia. Russia violates because it is in the background to promote and legitimize a country targeted by UN Security Council sanctions. It is a diabolical couple and cross -violations are evident,” summarizes Azeredo Lopes.
