As Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea is expected next week, there’s a growing interest in whether he will agree to provide North Korea with advanced nuclear and missile technology. The U.S. experts’ predictions about Putin’s gift package are varied.
According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), on June 13, former White House National Security Council Asia Director Dennis Wilder said, “Russia could provide North Korea with re-entry technology for multiple-warhead intercontinental ballistic missiles that can overwhelm U.S. ground-based interceptors, nuclear submarines, or strategic nuclear submarine technology.” He added, “If that happens, the U.S. defense posture in the Pacific region will become very complicated.”
Former U.S. Deputy Ambassador to South Korea Rob Rapson said, “North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is likely to request additional military support and advanced technology for the development of North Korea’s strategic system from Putin during his visit to North Korea.” He added, “The primary concern is whether Putin will indeed provide North Korea with advanced nuclear and missile systems that could upset the strategic equation in the region and beyond.”
He went on to say, “We’re keen to see if this will change this time, as Putin has not provided such weapons to the North so far,” and “South Korea, the U.S., and Japan should closely monitor this for a few weeks or months after Putin visits North Korea.” Military expert at the RAND Corporation Bruce Bennett predicted, ” Putin will not provide advanced nuclear weapon technology to North Korea.”
He said, “Putin knows that North Korea could pose a future threat to Russia because it is not an ally of Russia. North Korea used Russia to contain China during the Cold War. Putin could think that North Korea could aim nuclear weapons at Russia for its interests.”
He continued, “Russia can provide the North with the S-400 air defense system and surface-to-air missiles, which are of great interest to North Korea but do not pose a threat to Russia. It could also provide the North with re-entry technology for multiple-warhead intercontinental ballistic missiles, which are more threatening to the U.S. than to Russia.”
According to Russian media and the South Korean presidential office, Putin plans to visit North Korea soon. Although specific details about the schedule have not been announced, the visit is expected to take place around June 18 and 19.
North Korea and Russia have closely cooperated in the military field since the Russo-Ukrainian War. If Putin’s visit to North Korea takes place, it will be the first in 24 years, and the international community is watching closely as it is expected that Russia will receive conventional weapons from North Korea. North Korea is expected to receive technology for nuclear submarines and ballistic missiles from Russia.