NATO leaders have expressed concerns over the increasing closeness between the Russian and North Korean regimes as evidenced by the new defense treaty they have signed. This highlights the importance of democratic countries forming a unified front against authoritarian regimes.
According to reports from Reuters, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg mentioned during a small group discussion in Ottawa, Canada on Wednesday, June 19, that North Korea is providing “large amounts of ammunition” to Russia, with China and Iran providing military assistance to Moscow in its war against Ukraine. These dictatorships are seen to be supporting each other “in a way we have not seen before.”
Stoltenberg emphasized the growing importance of NATO’s cooperation with allies in the Asia-Pacific region, stating that this was a key reason behind the NATO summit to be held in Washington next month. He noted that during the meeting, he would work towards strengthening NATO’s partnership with allies in the Asia-Pacific region including Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Japan.
Stoltenberg also expressed hope that Canada would fulfill NATO’s requirement of defense spending reaching 2% of the country’s GDP. He stressed that, “If we can’t maintain peace, then everything we do in health, climate change, and education will fail.”
During a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on Tuesday, June 18, Stoltenberg echoed similar sentiments. He pointed out that Russian President Putin’s visit to North Korea confirms the close relationship between Russia, North Korea, China, and Iran, highlighting that security challenges are not just regional but global, requiring democratic nations to work together to address them.
Blinken stated that the summit between leaders of Russia and North Korea signifies Russia’s desperation to strengthen ties with North Korea in order to continue obtaining necessary supplies for the conflict in Ukraine.
On Wednesday, June 19, Russian President Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership treaty, including a mutual defense commitment, completely altering Moscow’s policy towards Pyongyang. Kim announced on the same day that North Korea and Russia have restored an “alliance” after 28 years.
In 1961, North Korea and the former Soviet Union signed the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance, which included a clause for “automatic military intervention in the event of a conflict.” After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the treaty was abolished in 1996. Since then, Moscow has shifted from unconditionally supporting North Korea against South Korea and the US to improving relations with South Korea.
However, interactions between authoritarian regimes often come with competition, suspicion, and distrust. An analysis by Reuters indicates that even the former Soviet Union, which provided security guarantees to North Korea in 1961, viewed them as an unstable and potentially volatile partner with whom cooperation needed to be approached cautiously.
Peter Ward, a researcher at the Sejong Institute in South Korea, told The Wall Street Journal that Russia may be cautious about sharing advanced technology related to intercontinental ballistic missiles with North Korea as it could upset friendly countries like China. China also views North Korea’s unrestrained development of nuclear weapons as a threat to its own security.
In recent months, trade between Russia and North Korea has been active, with Russia exchanging food, oil, and other supplies for weapons from North Korea. The US Pentagon has warned that the increasing closeness in relations between Russia and North Korea should be a cause for concern, especially for those who seek to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and support Ukraine in resisting Russia’s aggression.