• North Korea has sent thousands of troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.
• U.S. officials remain concerned about what Kim might receive in return, which analysts and officials say could be military technology.
• Kim and Putin deepened their alliance and even signed a defense pact.

North Korea has sent thousands of troops to Russia as the countries’ alliance deepens and they head to the front lines of the war in Ukraine.

The US said last week it had evidence of about 3,000 North Korean troops arriving at Russian military bases for possible deployment to Ukraine, confirming earlier reports from both Ukraine and South Korea. The White House said the US believed the soldiers were training.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Monday that he could “confirm that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia and that North Korean military units have been deployed in the Kursk region”, Russian territory invaded by Ukrainian forces earlier this month August.

Why is North Korea helping Russia?

Ties between Russia and North Korea entered a new phase earlier this year when Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a new mutual defense agreement during a summit in Pyongyang.

The defense pact, which the Russian State Duma ratified last Thursday, stipulates that the signatories will help each other in the event of an armed attack. The moment marks the closest North Korean-Russian relations since the Cold War.

Putin and Kim have strengthened their relationship over the Ukraine war, meeting last fall to discuss an arms deal in which North Korea eventually supplied ammunition and weapons to Russia. This event followed previous interactions for similar purposes.

That growing partnership between Russia and North Korea, countries aligned in their stance against the US-led liberal world order, during this war brought things to their current state.

What kind of support does Russia get?

The US first accused North Korea of ​​sending ammunition to Russia in September 2022, and Ukrainian and US officials have documented the use of North Korean weapons, including ballistic missiles, on the battlefield. Estimates of how much ammunition Pyongyang has sent to Moscow vary, but the West and South Korea believe the total for artillery munitions is somewhere in the millions.

Russia used North Korea’s weapons as an obstacle while dealing with the high demands of this conflict on industries targeted by sanctions and affected by production problems. The Russians also use weapons systems from Iran. The quality and performance of the weapons provided was mixed.

In the same way that Russia struggled with ammunition shortages, it also struggled with manpower shortages in this high-casualty conflict.

“More than 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in Putin’s war, and he cannot sustain his assault on Ukraine without foreign support,” NATO chief Rutte said on Monday, saying it was a sign of “growing desperation” on Putin’s part.

What does North Korea get in return?

It is not clear what is driving North Korea to become increasingly involved in the war. “We don’t have a good idea about that,” White House National Security Council spokesman Kirby told reporters last week. “But that’s what concerns us so much.”

Kim is in a strong position to demand food, petroleum products or even military technology, all of which analysts have identified as possibilities. By sending troops instead of just weapons and ammunition, Pyongyang is paying a very high price for whatever it gets in return, which it says in its own way.

Technologies for nuclear-powered submarines, which North Korea wants, could be a big question. North Korea also has an aging fleet of fighter jets it wants to modernize and a desire for advanced satellite technologies. It could also try to improve its defense industrial base.

But North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs are the crown jewels. In June, when the focus was only on weapons and ammunition, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said that any discussions about what North Korea would get from Russia would likely involve “plans to develop nuclear or ranged missiles long”.

North Korea also gains some leverage against the US and its allies through its close ties to Russia, and through its involvement in the war in Ukraine, its military can gain combat experience and data on the performance of its weapons.

How do friends and enemies react?

Kim’s decision to send North Korean troops to support Russia’s war has raised a number of alarms. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called it a “very serious problem”.

The Biden administration will “continue to increase security assistance” to Kiev and is discussing the “right next steps” with allies and partners, Kirby said. He mentioned that the US will also communicate with China on this issue.

Publicly, China has remained mum, with a Foreign Ministry spokesman saying last week that Beijing had “no information” about the deployment and would continue to push for a de-escalation of the conflict. Beijing has often aligned itself with Russia and North Korea; Western officials have accused China of also providing military aid to Russia in exchange for certain technology and information.

North Korea’s involvement in the war in Ukraine is likely most worrying for South Korea. The country’s spy agency reported that Kim has promised Russia about 10,000 troops and that those forces have been training in Russia since September.

The development has prompted Seoul’s leadership to reconsider its long-standing ban on the direct supply of arms to a country in conflict. South Korea has previously supported Ukraine through a loophole, sending ammunition through allies and partners, including the US. But last week, senior South Korean officials indicated that a change in policy was underway.

Such a move would bring both Koreas deeper into conflict and risk creating tensions at some point already heavy weather on the peninsula.