Why Kim Jong Un seeks collaboration with Putin and Russia: an expert's explanation.

Previously, North Korea relied heavily on trade relations with China. However, dictator Kim Jong Un has decided to establish a relationship with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

This was shared in a comment to the YouTube channel RBC-Ukraine by Alexander Kraev, an expert from the Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council.

Kraev reminded that it was under Kim Jong Un's leadership that North Korea was able to advance its nuclear program. During the tenure of his predecessors, China had a significant influence on North Korea, clearly stating that the country did not need weapons.

"In fact, Kim Jong Un has never been an entirely pro-China leader... It is under his rule that North Korea's missile and nuclear capabilities have flourished the most," the expert believes.

According to the expert, the North Korean leader clearly understands that cooperation with China places his country in a disadvantageous and overly dependent position. Therefore, these negotiations with the Russians and ambitions for Russian exports are set to reach 40% in trade relations between North Korea and Russia. Previously, North Korea was entirely a pawn in China's geopolitical strategy.

"It seems to me that this situation no longer satisfies Kim's regime; it no longer satisfies him personally. Hence the contacts with the Russians and Iranians, and the missile program as well. Therefore, we cannot say that North Korea is purely a Chinese story. China is dissatisfied with the extent of North Korea's current relations with the Russians, and we need to take this into account as well," Kraev said.

Cooperation Between Russia and North Korea

Amid the war against Ukraine, Russia is strengthening its cooperation with North Korea, which supplies it with ammunition, missiles, and military equipment. Western media have also reported on the transfer of long-range artillery systems to Russia.

In June, Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang and signed a strategic partnership agreement with Kim Jong Un, which includes mutual assistance in case of aggression against either country.

North Korean military personnel stationed in Russia have undergone training at military ranges and participated in battles in the Kursk region.

Against this backdrop, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov visited South Korea, where he discussed security and cooperation issues with top officials.

Today, the Minister of Defense of Russia, Andrey Biloусов, arrived in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The Russian official plans, among other things, to meet with the military-political leadership of North Korea.