Strange Bedfellows: Russia, North Korea, and the war in Ukraine

A new chapter has unfolded in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia has now reached an agreement with North Korea to led its troops to the war. The Pentagon says there are 10,000 troops being trained in Russia.

North Korea hasn’t deployed troops anywhere outside of its borders since the Korean War in the 1950s.

In Episode seven of Mortal Giants — Strange Bedfellows: Russia, North Korea and the War in Ukraine — Garossino talks with Vina Nadjibulla about this new chapter in the war in Ukraine that began in February of 2022.

“We have to go back to the June 2024 trip that President Putin took to North Korea,” Vina Nadjibulla says. “At that point, North Korea and Russia revived a Cold War defense agreement, a mutual security agreement. And we've seen a lot more cooperation between North Korea and Russia. North Korea has already been supplying Russia with much needed munition and even missiles. And of course, Russia has been giving North Korea money, food and fuel.” 

China has been North Korea’s main economic and security partner for 60 years, says Nadjibulla.

“China gives North Korea a little bit, but not too much. Whereas now we are seeing Russia, which is a much more unpredictable actor. And the big question mark for everybody is, in addition to financing fuel and food, will Putin also give North Korea sensitive military technology?”

And where does China fit in? 

“Putin is China's strategic partner. Putin and Xi are basically soulmates when it comes to their belief that the U.S. is an evil empire and the world needs to be reordered with the U.S. in a much more diminished position.” 

But she points out that China would prefer more stability.

“China would like to do things [subtly]. Short of war, short of open aggression, because they feel that advances their interests better because their interests are more interconnected with Western Europe. China needs Europe right now.”

Listen here to Episode 7 Strange Bedfellows, Russia, North Korea and the War in Ukraine

Mortal Giants is hosted by Sandy Garossino with Vina Nadjibulla.  Sandy is a former crown prosecutor and has been the public affairs columnist for Canada’s National Observer responsible for some groundbreaking investigations. Vina is the vice-president of Research and Strategy at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. She is a frequent media commentator on geopolitics, Canadian foreign policy, and Canada- Asia relations.