Written by Matt Wickham, UCMC/HWAG analyst
On June 19th, Putin made his first state visit to North Korea since 2000, to meet with his counterpart, the leader of the repressive regime ruling the northern part of the peninsula, Kim Jong Un. Pyongyang went all out to give the Russian delegation an over-the-top welcome, reminiscent of scenes from a dystopian novel, akin to the once-banned Russian novel “We” by Zamyatin. The faces of the oppressive leaders were prominently displayed on government buildings, children with fixed smiles, waved flags, and adults filling a stadium clapped in unison like a drilled battalion.
During the visit, the two leaders signed a defence pact, which essentially solidified the North Korean leadership’s stance of providing Russia with significant artillery support to continue its war on Ukraine. This is a move Putin desperately wanted to avoid, but as Russia struggles to meet its own military needs and faces resource depletion, options to continue his genocidal war are running short.
This meeting, however, highlighted how the Russian leader has dragged the country backwards in time, forging alliances with an internationally isolated terrorist regime as it scrambles to find military partners.
In this digest, we analyse the rhetoric and narratives propagated by Russian media, debunking their lies and providing an in-depth look at what this visit means for both countries and Ukraine.
A Meeting Hyped Up to the MAX
Verified: The Russian delegation had grown accustomed to everyone bending to its will wherever it goes, with the exception of their masters, China, of course. Even at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, where smoking is strictly prohibited, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov often smokes on camera, on purpose.
After a cringe-worthy, orchestrated welcome, Russia’s highest political elites were quickly brought down a peg. The embarrassing incident involved Russian officials being forced to leave the negotiation room because according to Pyongyang protocol, Kim Jong Un should have entered the hall first. The Russian officials were visibly irritated by the “miscommunication” and the ensuing embarrassment.
Political scientist Taras Zagorodni stated that this event is a stark example of how desperate Putin and the Russian Federation have become. Isolated from the rest of the world and lagging decades behind in development, Putin’s Russia and its elites find themselves in a position of weakened influence. Zagorodni elaborated, “Kim wanted to demonstrate that he was in control. Without his permission, the video would not have been made public.”
This incident shows that it is Russia in a position of need, or as propaganda often tells about Zelensky, being a “beggar” to its international allies (more precise wording, terrorist groups: Iran and North Korea). It shows that, despite propagandist attempts to show the arrival as the North Koreans in awe of the Russians and being the main beneficiaries from this deal, it is indeed Russia who is the main beneficiary. This moment is believed to have been orchestrated by Kim Jung Un, showing Russia and the external international arena that it is he, Kim, dictating the meeting and the relationship.
Andrei Klintsevich, Head of the Center for the Study of Military and Political Conflicts:
“We have not been welcomed like this anywhere else before.”
Olesya Loseva, 31,900 followers:
“Triumphant music plays. Children wave air balloons and flags of Russia and North Korea. Kim Jong Un does not hide his joy from meeting with the President of Russia. Everything is ready for the parade!”
Pool N3, 342,000 followers (attributed to American “journalist” Meister):
“Putin today met with Kim Jong Un, while Biden and Kamala met with members of the LGBT community at the White House.”
Rodion Miroshnik, Ambassador at Special Assignments of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 25,000 followers:
“One of the most important state visits by President Putin has begun. This visit and agreement disrupt the international agenda of Westerners, so lovingly built over the past few months. Against this backdrop, their conspiracy theories simply lose meaning. One fact is certain: Russia and North Korea have strategic partnership relations.”
ZARUBIN, 334,000 followers:
“I don’t know of another country where people breathe so freely.
Gasparyan 209,000 followers:
“During the first few hours, it appeared to me that all of the shouts and screams from the Ukrainian population had crossed over to America and that these tantrums were being witnessed in Washington, because this is something I hadn’t seen on American television in a long time. I mean, the first thing that comes to mind is the hysteria when Osama bin Laden hit the twins’ tower, like the shock they then felt.”
An Agreement that Recovers International Fairness and Justice
Verified: A common theme in Russian propaganda is the portrayal of Russia as a victim of injustice and double standards in the international arena, frequently being “picked on” by “unfriendly” states. During this visit, the Kremlin’s message was clear: it presented itself as North Korea’s saviour, aiming to showcase to the international community the perceived unfairness of the current world order. This narrative supports Russia’s push for a so-called “multipolar world,” one in which Russia can assume a leading position and exert more influence on the international agenda, thereby facing fewer consequences for its actions. This is evident in its efforts to promote the BRICS organization as a coalition discontented with U.S. hegemony and advocating for a “fair play” system.
North Korea has been isolated from the international community, including Russia, until recently due to its hostile behaviour that violates international law and jeopardizes global security, resulting in significant sanctions. These measures aim to prevent a regime that has openly declared its desire to strike the US from gaining the confidence to do so.
The dire state of North Korea is a consequence of its leadership’s conscious decision to live luxuriously and allocate enormous sums of money—20% of GDP—to the military complex rather than investing in feeding its people and implementing policies to spur economic growth. The country’s leadership stifles its people, prioritizing hostile actions and billion-dollar military projects to protect the regime and ensure its survival over the well-being of its citizens.
For example, the regime sends teenagers to labour camps for merely watching K-pop videos—a genre of pop music from South Korea. Such actions are inconsistent with a leadership supposedly dedicated to the freedom and welfare of its people. This clearly demonstrates that the suffering of North Korea’s citizens is due to the regime’s policies, not the sanctions imposed by the West.
Alexei Maslov, Director of the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Moscow State University:
“If you were to isolate someone for several decades, what else would you expect from them? […] Many people had a clear view, shaped by the American perspective, that North Korea, with its mad leader, was a clear enemy of international law, not only the current one but previous ones as well, who was going crazy. However, the reality is that a very anti-humanitarian situation is developing around North Korea.”
Putin:
“Both Russia and the DPRK reject the language of blackmail and dictatorship”… “The indefinite restrictive regime towards the DPRK should be reconsidered.”
Alexey Bobrovsky, 22,000 followers:
“We’ve simply rectified a historical, monstrous injustice. […] This is where the joke fits: what’s the difference between a rat and a hamster? Nothing. The hamster just has better PR [in regards to Russian and North Korea being outcasts].”
Armen Gasparyan, 209,000 followers:
“But, for the last 30 years, the image of an absolute outcast, such an infernal place on the planet, has been built up around its personified evil—North Korea. The Russian president’s visit to North Korea triggered a wave of nostalgia, reminding me of the 1980s. The warm welcome and incredible atmosphere were reminiscent of my childhood. Later, I turned on American television and was transported back to my childhood because the screen was filled with pure madness.”
Dmitry Puchkov, radio host (Sputnik):
“Is it hard to live in North Korea? Yes, very? It is also a source of ridicule—something to laugh about [claiming the Americans]. Everything that’s happened in North Korea is organized solely by the United States and its allies, just like in Cuba, just like in Iran, and in all the other places these creatures crush with all their might, not allowing them [the hostile countries under sanctions] to breathe at all—not allowing them to buy food, not allowing them to buy equipment, not allowing them to buy medicine, nothing. So, basically, your children can die, but we are for democracy; we won’t give you medicine—well, they are bastards, bastards indeed, but we support democracy and will not give you medicine. Pigs are absolute pigs.”
Military Powerhouse: America, watch out!
Verified: The Kremlin’s propagandists aimed to provoke concern in the West, particularly in the United States. Their focus was not primarily on Ukraine, but on instilling fear among the American people regarding a new alliance. After all, Russia has already been using North Korean-supplied weapons in its war on Ukraine for many months, so news about continuing supplies comes as no surprise to the Ukrainian military leadership.
A common phrase used by propagandists, especially by Klintsevich, the “go-to” figure for all things related to the Russian military, was, “This has caused serious concerns for the Americans.” Gasparyan took this claim even further, asserting that the American media has not reacted with such panic since the days when Bin Laden struck the Twin Towers.
The aim was to exaggerate the North Korean military threat to something far beyond reality. While the agreement between Russia and North Korea provides Russia with much-needed artillery to avoid resource depletion and offers North Korea the funds to expand its military infrastructure, enhancing its capabilities to fend off its “enemy”, the US, through South Korea, the reality is that the North Korean military is no match for the U.S. nor NATO.
Alina Hrystenko, a Ukrainian expert on Asian affairs, explained to Radio NV that North Korea is not prepared for a full-scale war with the United States. She emphasized that the primary objective of the North Korean regime is its own survival, making their aggressive posturing mere instruments of fear-mongering.
Echoing the perspective of Hrystenko, the Conflict Intelligence Team noted that Kim Jong Un already possesses missile systems, like the Hwasong-17, capable of reaching the United States and overcoming its air defense structures. They explained that North Korea’s current capabilities already allow for a credible threat of a retaliatory strike, making any new agreements with Russia strategically redundant in terms of nuclear threats.
On the other hand, Vitali Portnikov suggested that there is a possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin might want to instigate another conflict in East Asia, specifically between South Korea and North Korea. He pointed out how global attention shifted from Ukraine once the conflict in the Middle East escalated and posed the scenario: “Imagine a war on the Korean Peninsula. The U.S. would then face a tough decision on whether to withdraw its troops stationed there or engage in the conflict.”
Moreover, in terms of artillery, Ukrainian military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko observed that North Korea’s military-industrial complex focuses on quantity rather than quality. He highlighted how Russian artillerymen have expressed dissatisfaction with the poor quality of North Korean munitions, including shells and powder charges, which lack accuracy and reliability. Kovalenko concluded that, given Russia’s apparent interest in quantity over quality, it is reasonable to expect more instances of subpar North Korean military supplies.
Andrei Klintsevich, Head of the Center for the Study of Military and Political Conflicts:
Yes, there is something [for the West] to be concerned about with North Korea, the world’s most militarized country; approximately 20% of its GDP is spent on war needs. It is when the conditions of the price of labour are at their minimum. They have over 108 underground military production complexes, and no satellite system can detect them being destroyed.
Andrei Klintsevich, Head of the Center for the Study of Military and Political Conflicts:
“It is a serious force that is ready to confront, and they have been ready for this all their lives, not only with South Korea but also to fight against the Americans. And so the emergence of such a strong partner now destroys all of the previously created conceptions of a war of depletion, that Russia will simply stop fighting, and that the Western military complex can overcome and defeat us. […] It turns out that all of these reports’ maths cannot be cheated, our military complex is more powerful than all of the collective West, but if we had to add North Korea, Iran, and then China, it would be a problem for them, and their union is useless.”
Alex Parker Returns 221,000 followers:
“If I were Kim Jong-un, I would make a deal with Pupa [Xi Jinping] to build a nuclear submarine specifically for North Korea. Given such a friendship, North Korea with a nuclear submarine is a huge headache for Japan and especially for the US. This is the very essence of a multipolar world. How delightful!”
Markov, 72,000 followers:
“Putin arrived in North Korea. Washington trembles. There are fears that as a result of the visit, Korean missiles armed with nuclear weapons will be able to reach all major cities in the US. In other words, they will be more long-range and, importantly, will receive satellite guidance from reconnaissance satellites.”
