The growing alliance between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-Un poses a “real danger” as the two leaders strengthen their ties, according to an expert.
Geopolitical analyst and CEO of Scarab Rising, Irina Tsukerman, highlighted the risks of this budding relationship in an exclusive interview.
She told Express.co.uk: “I think there is real danger there. Russia still has unparalleled intelligence capabilities and while North Korea has grown in that area, it still needs to learn. Two big powers uniting like this should not be dismissed easily.”
Russian President Putin traveled to Pyongyang on Tuesday for a summit with North Korean leader Kim, marking his first visit to the isolated nation in 24 years.
During the visit, Putin expressed his deep appreciation for North Korea’s steadfast support for Russia’s actions in Ukraine. He emphasised that both countries would continue to “resolutely oppose” Western efforts to “hinder the establishment of a multipolarized world order based on mutual respect for justice.”
North Korea has been increasing its military preparations and making clear threats to its neighbors, further degrading deconfliction with South Korea. This, Tsukerman warns, may also be a strategic ploy in Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine.
“North Korea might be joining activity in the region”, she explained. “If they were to attack a neighbour, it would certainly benefit Russia as it would distract the US and divert attention from Ukraine. By creating another theatre of war, it would distract the media and America.
“Russia could be reporting a counter-offensive in Crimea; it is critical for Putin to secure weapons and soldiers as Ukraine is getting help from the US,” the expert added.
This comes as South Korea has reported that thousands of shipping containers loaded with weapons have been sent from North Korea to Russia. The country’s Defence Minister, Shin Wonsik, told Bloomberg that Seoul has identified at least 10,000 shipping containers suspected of containing artillery ammunition and other weapons shipped from North Korea to Russia.
“Russia’s factory with Iran has been targeted and damaged by Ukraine, so Russia is looking for an alternative for their drone production. North Korea has proven exceptional at innovating for all its constraints. With Russian scientists, it could rapidly develop new capabilities,” Tsukerman explained.
“There’s no doubt that there will be a show for the media, but Putin is not there to waste time. That said, they will not necessarily announce everything to the media,” she cautioned.
As Putin seeks to navigate the complexities of international alliances and dependencies, particularly with China, the burgeoning relationship with North Korea offers a potential strategic advantage.
“China considers Kim Jong-un reckless. So far, Putin has played this very carefully and has avoided any confrontation. He will likely leverage this North Korea meeting to rally support for Ukraine but behind closed doors, it may be a different matter entirely,” Tsukerman said.
