North Korea–Russia Relations

) are the bilateral relations between Russia and North Korea. The Soviet Union (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR, the predecessor state to the Russian Federation) was the first to recognize North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK) on October 12, 1948, shortly after the proclamation, as the sole legitimate authority in all of Korea (China was the first country to recognize the Republic of Korea in a divided nation). During the Korean War, the Korean People's Army was supported by the Soviet Armed Forces. North Korea was founded as part of the Communist bloc, and received major Soviet military and political support. The comprehensive personality cult around North Korea's ruling family was heavily influenced by Stalinism. China and the Soviet Union competed for influence in North Korea during the Sino-Soviet split in the 1960s, as North Korea tried to maintain good relations with both countries.

In 2022, North Korea became the third country (the second being Syria) to recognise the independence of the breakaway states of Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics in Eastern Ukraine. In response to the recognition, Ukraine terminated diplomatic ties with North Korea. In August 2022, North Korea volunteered 100,000 of their own troops to help Donbass. In September 2022, Russia reportedly purchased millions of shells and rockets from North Korea to aid in its invasion of Ukraine.

Relations between the two countries continued after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The relationship regained importance after Vladimir Putin was elected President of Russia in 2000. Kim Jong-un also accepted an invitation to visit Russia in mid-2015. The two states share a border along the lower Tumen River (Туманная ; 두만강), which is long and was formed in 1860 when the Tsar Alexander II acquired territory ceded from Qing dynasty China in the Convention of Peking.

Favorable perceptions of North Korea in Russia have gradually declined in recent years, with only 34% of Russians viewing North Korea as a friendly nation and 60% of Russians believing that North Korea's nuclear arms pose a threat to other countries; only 8% of Russians favor supporting North Korea in a potential conflict. According to a 2014 BBC World Service Poll, 19% of Russians view North Korea's influence positively, with 37% expressing a negative view.

History

Soviet Union (USSR) & Cold war

The Soviet Union had provided much support to North Korea during the Cold War.

Soviet troops invaded the Japanese colony of Korea in 1945; by agreement with the U.S., the 38th parallel was the dividing line with Moscow in charge to the north and Washington to the South.

North Korea came under the control of the Soviet Civil Administration and People's Committee of North Korea from 1945 to 1948.

The Soviet 64th Fighter Aviation Corps took part in the Korean War where they provided North Korea and China with badly needed pilots.

Moscow under Mikhail Gorbachev began to reduce aid to the North after 1985 in favor of reconciliation with South Korea. Military equipment continued to be provided until a last batch of MiG-29s was delivered in 1989. Kim Il-sung visited the USSR five times, with the last time being in 1986 during the early Gorbachev era. He also met with Soviet officials abroad, including with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev during the funeral of Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito in May 1980.

Russian Federation (RF)

1990s

After the dissolution of the USSR, the new Russian government under Boris Yeltsin refused to provide support for North Korea, favoring South Korea instead.

The first meeting of the Inter-governmental Commission for Trade, Economic, and Scientific-Technical Cooperation between Russia and DPRK was held in the spring of 1996 led by Deputy Premier Vitali Ignatenko.