Putin’s Landmark Visit to North Korea Signals Deepening Dependency on Authoritarian Alliances

Vladimir Putin to arrive in North Korea (DPRK) for the first time in 24 years. Western politicians believe this step indicates Putin’s rising dependence on authoritarian countries and at the same time potential security implications for the Korean peninsula.

Before arriving in Pyongyang, for his two-day visit, Putin published an article in the local newspaper Rodong Sinmun called “Russia and the DPRK: traditions of friendship and cooperation through the years.”

In the article, Putin praised the longstanding friendship and neighborly relations between Russia and the DPRK. He highlighted that it was the Soviet Union that initially recognized the DPRK, becoming the first nation to establish diplomatic ties.

“We highly appreciate the DPRK’s strong support for the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, its solidarity with us on key international issues, and its readiness to defend common priorities and views at the United Nations.”

Reactions to Putin’s visit

During a White House press briefing on Monday, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby stated that Putin’s deepening ties with North Korea might affect the situation in the Korean peninsula.

“We’re not concerned about the trip,” Kirby said. “What we are concerned about is the deepening relationship between these two countries.”

Kirby added that the worry was not just that “North Korean ballistic missiles are still being used to hit Ukrainian targets, but because there could be some reciprocity here that could affect security on the Korean peninsula.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also commented on Putin’s visit to North Korea.

“It demonstrates how dependent President Putin and Moscow now is on authoritarian countries across the world,” Stoltenberg said in Washington at the Wilson Center. “Their closest friends and the biggest supporters of the Russian war effort — war of aggression — (are) North Korea, Iran, and China.”

Vladimir Putin is expected to visit Vietnam on June 19-20.