Russia Courts North Korea: Implications for Europe and the Indo-Pacific

The deepening partnership between Russia and North Korea—fueled by Moscow’s global search for troops and weapons to sustain its invasion of Ukraine—carries profound security implications for both Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. Although Pyongyang has contributed relatively few soldiers compared to Russia’s large military force, their presence on Europe’s frontiers has raised alarm among policymakers and elites across the continent. This development also prompted South Korea’s previous administration to begin selling weapons to some of America’s NATO allies. In the Indo-Pacific, Russia’s provision of money and technology to North Korea—along with its disregard for United Nations sanctions—has bolstered the DPRK’s capabilities, increased regime confidence, and further reduced the country’s international isolation. What are the potential consequences of these considerable changes? And how might governments in Europe, and South Korea’s new administration, respond?

On July 17, the Center for the National Interest hosted an important discussion with two leading experts.

—Dr. Nikolas Gvosdev is a professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College and a non-resident fellow at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs and the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He is also a non-resident fellow at the Center for the National Interest and a contributing editor at The National Interest.

—Dr. Jae Ku is senior fellow for U.S.-Korea relations at the Center for the National Interest and a co-founder and former director of the U.S.-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. In recent years, he has also produced award-winning historical documentaries on Asia.

Paul Saunders, president of the Center for the National Interest, moderated the discussion.