Camilla Jessen
As claims of illegal arms transfers and troop deployments mount, Pyongyang insists its partnership with Moscow promotes peace and sovereignty in Eurasia.
North Korea has defended its deepening military cooperation with Russia, claiming the partnership is aimed at maintaining peace and stability in Europe and Asia.
In a statement carried by state media on Monday, a North Korean Foreign Ministry official described the alliance with Moscow as “the cream of interstate relations,” arguing that it contributes to global stability and the creation of a “multipolar world order based on genuine respect for sovereignty, equality and justice.”
The statement comes as international scrutiny intensifies over Pyongyang’s reported military support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Claims of Illegality
A monitoring group comprising South Korea, the United States, Japan and eight other countries last week classified the Russia–North Korea relationship as “illegal.”
The group, which operates independently of the United Nations, was formed in 2024 following Russia’s veto of a UN Security Council resolution to extend the mandate of an official panel that oversaw enforcement of sanctions against North Korea.
According to the group, Russian-flagged ships have transported approximately nine million rounds of artillery and multiple rocket launchers from North Korea to Russia so far this year.
In exchange, the group alleges that Russia has provided North Korea with air defence systems and anti-aircraft missiles — transfers that would breach multiple UN Security Council sanctions first imposed in 2006.
North Korean Troop Losses Reported
South Korea’s intelligence service has claimed that North Korea has also deployed troops to support Russia in Ukraine.
Around 600 North Korean soldiers are believed to have been killed and thousands more injured, according to a South Korean lawmaker briefed by intelligence officials.
In April, North Korea publicly acknowledged for the first time that it had sent military personnel to Russia, confirming earlier reports of its involvement in the conflict.
North Korea has rejected criticism of its cooperation with Moscow, saying the alliance serves legitimate security interests and supports the territorial integrity of sovereign nations.
In its response to the monitoring group’s findings, Pyongyang insisted that its relationship with Russia is not only legal but also beneficial to regional peace.
“The ties between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation are aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the Eurasian region,” the North Korean Foreign Ministry said.
International Concern
The growing military partnership between Russia and North Korea has raised alarm among Western governments and UN member states, who view it as a violation of international norms and a threat to global security.
UN sanctions against North Korea — originally introduced to curb the country’s nuclear weapons programme — have been expanded over the years to include a ban on arms exports and cooperation in military technology.
With traditional enforcement mechanisms weakened after Russia’s Security Council veto, the newly formed monitoring group has taken on the role of tracking violations.
Its findings suggest that Russia and North Korea are deepening a strategic alliance at a time when both countries face international isolation and pressure from the West.
Neither Russia nor North Korea has formally responded to the group’s specific claims of weapons transfers.