Why Is North Korea Sending Troops to Russia?

Russia and North Korea have a long history of partnership, but it is unclear if the relationship “is a true alliance or more a marriage of convenience,” according to Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow in the Asian Studies Center at The Heritage Foundation.  

“The longer it goes on, it seems a bit more of an alliance,” Klingner says.

“The two leaders, [Vladimir] Putin and Kim [Jong Un], signed a strategic partnership agreement earlier this year where they pledged to help defend each other, and Putin has sort of cited that as a reason for justifying North Korean troops being there because they’re defending Russia against attacks by not only Ukraine, but he claims NATO,” Klingner explains. 

The Pentagon announced Monday that North Korea has sent about 10,000 troops to Russia to aid in Russia’s fight against Ukraine. 

In exchange for troops, Klingner says North Korea is receiving “funding, getting cash, both direct and indirectly, likely food deliveries, fuel deliveries, and what is particularly worrisome is concerns that it may also be getting military technology.” 

Klingner joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the relationship between Russia and North Korea and what the two countries’ latest partnership means for the war in Ukraine.

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