Experts talk about the impact of the meeting between President Putin and Leader Kim Jong-un

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met at the Vostochny Cosmodrome. The North Korean leader supported all decisions taken by Moscow in Ukraine and expressed hope for further bilateral cooperation.

Experts believe that the talks between the two top leaders will serve as a solid foundation for further development of dialogue between Moscow and Pyongyang. It should be noted that the sides agree on many pressing issues, and that increased interaction between Russia and its Asian allies will help build a comprehensive policy line to counter the West.

Stanislav Tkachenko, Professor of European Studies at the Faculty of International Relations of Saint Petersburg University, said that North Korea's support for Russia is extremely beneficial. Moscow-Pyongyang cooperation will now be carried out in all areas, in all directions. North Korea will support Russia's position at the international level. And accordingly, Russia will support North Korea. The second important area is the military, because North Korea is the largest arms producer.

Professor Tkachenko believes that the two sides will also begin to establish economic relations. For example, Russia will supply food to North Korea. This question is very important now. Moscow can also create opportunities for North Korean workers to work in the Far East. In addition, Russia may contribute to the space program of its neighbor. It is no coincidence that the meeting between President Putin and leader Kim Jong-un took place at the Vostochny Cosmodrome.

It is also important that Moscow supports North Korea's ideological stance in its conflict with Western countries, the Russian expert stressed.

Mr. Tkachenko assessed that, in general, the meeting between President Putin and Leader Kim Jong-un was successful. Both sides clearly expressed their interest in cooperation and mutual support.

The rapprochement between Russia and North Korea also raises the question of whether there will be a new wave of economic restrictions from the United States. Ivan Timofeev, director of the Valdai International Discussion Club program, said that the threat of sanctions pressure has no significant impact on Moscow.

“As for the UN sanctions regime and the Security Council, where Russia is a member, everything will depend on the sphere of cooperation between Russia and North Korea. If we talk about food supplies, then Russia will most likely shift the focus to the fact that these are humanitarian supplies aimed at solving food security problems for North Korea. In general, this issue does not fundamentally contradict the UN sanctions regime,” expert Ivan Timofeev pointed out.

Konstantin Asmolov, a leading researcher at the Center for Korean Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said: “Overall, Leader Kim Jong-un's visit to Russia was extremely successful.”

Researcher Asmolov commented that this is one of the rare cases in international politics where the meeting itself plays an important role. Despite the adversity of the outside world, the two leaders still tried to arrange their busy schedules to meet and talk directly. This confirms that the relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang is increasingly strengthened.

“The culmination of this process was the agreement on launching North Korean satellites on Russian aircraft carriers. This demonstrated the highest level of trust between the parties, and gave a special symbolic character to the meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome,” researcher Konstantin Asmolov assessed.

Another positive point, Mr. Asmolov pointed out, is that Leader Kim Jong-un has significantly expanded his itinerary. Kim Jong-un will visit not only the Amur region, but also Vladivostok and Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

In addition, the North Korean leader is likely to visit the Sukhoi aircraft factory. This decision is noteworthy for two reasons. First, North Korea has a great opportunity to access Russia's development in the field of aircraft manufacturing. This will most likely have a positive impact on the North's domestic production dynamics. Second, leader Kim Jong-un has a technical education. Personal factors and interests in the framework of diplomacy are considered the best way to establish interaction between the two sides. The meeting will certainly lay the foundation for further expansion of relations between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Researcher Konstantin Asmolov commented that such diplomatic initiatives by Russia create an impetus for strengthening cooperation in the Russia-China-North Korea “triangle”. In the context of the US trying to create a “NATO” in Asia, the Russia-China-North Korea “triangle” becomes especially important, and will affect the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region.