Publication

As North Korea’s missile and nuclear tests continue to destabilize the security situation in the Asia-Pacific region, this paper examines Russia’s strategic position towards Pyongyang’s advancing nuclear program. Three key observations outlined by the author include that 1) Moscow views US policy towards North Korea as the main source of the current crisis on the Korean Peninsula; 2) while Russia raised its state of readiness in response to North Korea’s nuclear program advances, Moscow remains a firm advocate of softer sanctions against Pyongyang; and 3) the crisis is fostering closer political and military ties between China and Russia.