Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has catalysed a renewed partnership between Moscow and its Cold War client of Pyongyang. The two states have not only signed a mutual defence pact, but in addition to sending artillery and missiles to Russia, North Korea has also deployed over 11,000 troops to aid Putin’s war. At the same time, China has remained obstinate in its reluctance to comment on the burgeoning North Korea-Russia ties, despite continuing to exchange dual-use technologies with Russia. Is the revived DPRK-Russia rapprochement purely a transactional “marriage of convenience”? Alternatively, does it represent a longer-term strategy to form a new “axis of upheaval” between Russia, North Korea, China, and other rogue states, such as Iran? In shedding light upon these questions, this talk will aim to disaggregate the evolution of North Korea’s relationship with Russia, and analyse the implications of North Korea’s role in the Ukraine War on East Asian and global security, at a time of political change in Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo.

Dr Edward Howell is a Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Oxford, and the Korea Foundation Fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), London. His research specialises in the international relations and security of the Korean Peninsula and East Asia, with his most recent research concerning North Korea’s foreign policy, inter-Korean relations, U.S.-DPRK relations, and UK policy towards the Indo-Pacific. Edward’s latest book, North Korea and the Global Nuclear Order: When Bad Behaviour Pays was published by Oxford University Press in 2023. Edward is a frequent media commentator and contributor to outlets including The Spectator, The Telegraph, and BBC News. He received a prizewinning B.A., M.Phil., and D.Phil. in International Relations from the University of Oxford.