North Korea: Putin’s power play to get more leverage over the West

AS TENSIONS continue to grow between China and its wayward ally North Korea, Russia is pouncing on a chance to fill the void and get more leverage.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has historical ties with North Korea. Picture: Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool/AP

RUSSIA is increasing its focus on the Korean Peninsula and forging stronger ties with its isolated neighbour.

And as tensions grow between China and North Korea amid increasing US pressure, Moscow looks ready to fill that void.

A new report by private-intelligence firm Stratfor reveals Moscow is expanding its ties and influence with Pyongyang as another way of building leverage in its negotiations with the west.

Stratfor, which successfully predicted Europe’s inability to cope with the financial crisis and the US-jihadi war, also reveals Russia is developing the capacity to play spoiler to US plans to increase pressure on North Korea.

The report, Russia Seizes an Opportunity in North Korea, also notes the breakdown in relations between Russia and the west is working to Moscow’s advantage.

But Stratfor highlights there was a more important reason Russia wants to keep North Korea on side.

Russian President Vladimir Putin pictured with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in 2002. Picture: Alexander Nemenov/AFP

“Just as China does not want to see North Korea’s government destabilised, it is in Russia’s interests to maintain North Korea as a buffer state between it and Western-allied South Korea and Japan,” the report reads.

North Korea and Russia share similar ideologies and historic economic ties along with a 17km border.

While the Soviet Union was a major economic backer of North Korea before its collapse, Russia accounts for only 1 per cent of foreign trade today. China makes up around 90 per cent.

However Russia is helping North Korea in other ways.

Moscow agreed to expand North Korean labour immigration to Russia with 50,000 granted work permits last year.

The report further details how North Korea developed its cult personality surrounding its leaders from the Soviets, and this is one of the reasons Russia supports it today.

“That legacy, and the fact that its own leader, Vladimir Putin, enjoys similar popular power, is one reason the Kremlin continues to back the leadership in Pyongyang,” the report reads.

Mr Putin also met Kim Jong-il at the Kremlin in 2001.

‘FINGER IN THE PIE’

In 2014, Moscow wrote off 90 per cent of Pyongyang’s $11 billion debt from the Soviet-era.

Recent projects between the two, including a new ferry service between Rajin and Vladivostok, also indicate economic co-operation remains strong.

Dr Euan Graham, an expert in international Security Program at the Lowy Institute, said the Soviet Union was once the main economic supporter to North Korea, whereas now it is China.

But Dr Graham said Pyongyang plays the two powers against each other.

“When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 economic support and subsides to North Korea dropped dramatically which was partly the reason it went into famine,” he said.

“Russia has stepped back economically. Clearly China is the big hitter on the block.”

Dr Graham said Russia would view Pyongyang as important due to it sharing a land border which acted as a vital route for things including fuel supply.

North Korean leader Kim Jong -un sends thousands of workers into Russia every year. Picture: Wong Maye-E/AP

And according to him Russia is likely increasing its influence with North Korea so it can act as “the spoiler.”

“It’s just another area where Russia has a finger in the pie and which the US has interests in,” he said.

THE LIMIT

Dr Graham said Russia’s financial support would be limited by its own economic challenges.

He also said Russians were generally wary of North Korea which has proven to be unreliable.

“Historically, in terms of give and take, there’s been much more take from North Korea,” he said.

Dr Graham said this led some Russians to be sceptical of its support for the DPRK.

He also pointed out Russia didn’t have the geopolitical presence of the US, China, South Korea or Japan and ultimately all Moscow wanted was more leverage with the West.

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