Russia finds its new armoury in North Korea

North Korea made first deliveries of missiles to Russia. Beneficiary is Wagner PMC paid for them.

What North Korea gets from this:

1. North Korean workers may be involved in construction work in Russia and its occupied Ukrainian territories.

Taking into account sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council, which prohibit this type of filling DPRK's coffers with currency, this is an important "stick" for Pyongyang.

2. Currency for missiles.

Prigozhin is "banking", spending $100 million/month on war according to data released by Kirby. For North Korean economy, five years under tough sanctions is significant boost.

3. Russian and Western technologies.

There are rumours that Moscow has retaliated by harbouring several North Korean technicians who disassemble captured weapon in attempt to reproduce its clumsy "replica" of it.

4. Income from exports

North Korea is prohibited by UNSC sanctions from exporting almost everything it is capable of producing/ mining/ logging/ fishing.

Moscow will now become reliable buyer.  Although not long-term, because money has ability to run out quickly when you are under sanctions. But regimes count for short periods of time in the economy, so this is also nice bonus for Pyongyang.

What does it mean for us:

1. It won't change the course of war, as Kirby also pointed out.

But this is only the beginning of cooperation. In future, there may be more supplies from DPRK. And we should be ready for it.

2. DPRK can share with Russia not only weapons, but also achievements in cybercrime.

North Korea's success is estimated at 1.2 billion stolen crypto-assets over the past five years, most of them in the last year. This is one of the main sources of filling Pyongyang's budget with currency (the second is China).

So, here the world must respond by developing policies in this new, chaotic and so far mostly anarchic market. And this is a question not only for state players, but also for private market leaders.

Because now it looks like safe anti-sanctions harbour that will serve as reliable feeder for butchers.

3. Now, in addition to the Middle East, closer partnership awaits us with Republic of Kazakhstan and Japan.

Nothing unites more like a common enemy. Moreover, the last tests of missiles North Korea conducted near Japanese waters.

Biden strengthens partnership with Yoon Suk Yeol and Fumio Kishida. We also have a reason for this.

4. China is in triple awkward position at the UN Security Council.

Beijing trades with Russia, Iran and North Korea. And, it seems, plans to protect all three.

But the more evidence of Tehran and Pyongyang's military support for Russian invasion emerges, the more uncomfortable Beijing's position becomes. And his so-called "neutrality" looks all the more caricatured.

In any case, delivery is already a fact. Future supplies are also almost inevitable. So now our strategy must be built in a new reality where we have allies of the enemy in the Indo-Pacific region, and therefore significant interests there.

About the author: Agia Zagrebelska, Ukrainian lawyer, state representative of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (2015-2019).

Espreso TV do not always share opinions expressed by the authors of blogs.