Russia and North Korea are forging closer ties. How close will they get? And can they emerge out of China's shadow (and dominance)?
This article examines the Tumen River bridge project that Russia and North Korea joined to build. In addition to discussing the bridge capacity, the essay writes of its broader purpose:
Although attention often focuses on military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, their relationship extends well beyond arms sales, technology transfers, and direct combat support. Pyongyang seeks to strengthen bilateral ties to address its domestic socio-economic issues and to maintain leverage in its often fraught relationship with Beijing - a strategy it has pursued for decades. In this context, the regime’s top priority is survival, which also requires a degree of economic stability, including access to food, energy, and other essential resources that Russia can provide. ...
While the new bridge and related initiatives are likely to strengthen economic ties, it would be premature to describe the bridge construction as transformative - or as something that could overnight shift the geopolitical balance, either regionally or on the Korean Peninsula.
It's nice to read this. I figured something was up with Russia and North Korea teaming up to loosen China's grip on both of them. Especially in light of closer defense ties that include North Koreans fighting and dying in Russia's war against Ukraine. North Korea is better prepared to fight because of this relationship. What does North Korea expect from Russiain return for dead North Korean troops?
And while the geopolitical balance isn't shifted overnight with this tentative link, how might this path unfold to shift the balance over time?
NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 continues here.
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NOTE: Image from the Frontelligence essay.
