Apples and Ammo: Russia–North Korea Deal Deepens
The economic and military alliance between North Korea and Russia is strengthening, and experts are sounding the alarm, The Gaze reports, citing the Financial Times.
From North Korean apples appearing in Russian supermarkets to plans for a $100 million border bridge and revived rail links, the partnership is evolving beyond wartime convenience into a long-term strategic bloc.
Twelve months after Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un held a high-profile summit, their cooperation is bearing fruit — quite literally. But it’s not just about trade in jam, sausages, or accordions.
Pyongyang has reportedly supplied over 12 million artillery shells and sent as many as 13,000 troops and workers to support Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
In return, Kim’s regime is receiving a lifeline of billions in cash, resources, and technology transfers.
Moscow is also courting North Korean workers to fill labor gaps in its depopulated Far East, a move that may outlast the war and become a key source of foreign revenue for Pyongyang.
Analysts say the implications stretch far beyond economics. Russia gains a steady military supplier and diplomatic ally in Asia, while North Korea accelerates its weapons program under Russian patronage.
“This is not just about apples and construction crews,” warns Victor Cha of CSIS. “It’s about building a new axis of resistance to the West.”
Despite questions about the long-term benefits for Moscow, this growing alliance gives both regimes a dangerous new kind of leverage — one that may reshape regional stability long after the war in Ukraine ends.
Read more on The Gaze: North Korea Supplied Russia with 12 Million 152mm Shells, Intelligence Reports