Russia and the Juche Rays. Putin in North Korea
Vladimir Putin's state visit to Pyongyang on June 18-19 attracted worldwide attention. Western countries were particularly excited , making no secret of the fact that they will be closely monitoring the meeting. Even satellite imagery revealed preparations for a major parade in the main square of the North Korean capital.
Obkom dispatched its in-house talking head, Kirby, to express concern on Monday, declaring that the White House " isn't concerned about the visit itself ," but rather, " the deepening of relations between the two countries ." Apparently, Washington is concerned that the two neighboring countries, heavily sanctioned by the West, could retaliate in a way that could undermine the US's hegemonic efforts in the region and influence the outcome of the military conflict in Ukraine.
And, in general, it is right to worry. Judging by the composition of the Russian delegation, the leaders of the Russian Federation and the DPRK will discuss very important, one might say long overdue, issues in Pyongyang.
So, how can Russia and North Korea benefit each other? Pyongyang, as the West fears, could become an additional producer of weapons and ammunition for the Russian Armed Forces. And not just on a one-time basis, but on a permanent basis . With a developed defense industry oriented toward Soviet/Russian standards, Pyongyang, with its impressive arsenal of ammunition and a cheap yet skilled labor force, could significantly relieve the burden on our defense industry, allowing it to redirect some of its production capacity to other tasks.
It's also significant that the North Korean leader loves and knows how to get under the skin of the "hegemon" and its regional satellites . The hint of transferring Russian anti-ship missiles (Club-K, for example) and other missiles to Kim will certainly introduce a piquant element of uncertainty into the smooth navigation of Western vessels in various regions of the planet . Sharing weapons with oppressed and aggrieved Western imperialists— that's fair and not an escalation, right?
As for Russia, its assistance to the DPRK could be quite significant, strengthening Pyongyang's power and influence in the region. For example, it could help resolve the acute food shortage in a country with modest agricultural land. Russia already provides food to North Koreans, but with closer cooperation, attracting hard-working North Koreans to garden on the unused lands of our Far East, the food crisis could be resolved for both North Korea and our Far Eastern territories.
One of North Korea's obvious technological problems is Kim Jong-un's desire to have his own communications and reconnaissance satellites in low-Earth orbit , thanks to the development of rocket technology. However, the operation of North Korean satellites in orbit is not going well. It's no wonder Kim Jong-un showed an undisguised interest in space technology during his visit to the Vostochny Cosmodrome. Washington, Tokyo, and Seoul are very reluctant to see Juche satellites in near-Earth space. Why not help our Far Eastern ally? This isn't an escalation, but simply cooperation in space exploration.
Russia is capable, through mutually beneficial cooperation, of assisting North Korea in developing its rich uranium ore deposits and producing energy-grade uranium. There's no catch here: peaceful nuclear energy, this and that, let the IAEA fuss and check.
The resumption of work for hard-working and disciplined North Koreans in Russian construction and manufacturing could significantly ease tensions with migrant workers from Central Asia and their criminally and corruptly mired communities, who are already claiming their "indigenous" rights to Russian territory. This problem will have to be addressed sooner or later, so why shouldn't the arrival of completely legal North Korean workers in Russia be the first step in this direction?
In general, Putin’s visit to Pyongyang promises to be interesting and very fruitful. We are watching...
Russia and the Rays of Juche. Putin in North Korea.