Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that contacts between Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are not planned yet. Earlier, Putin expressed gratitude to the DPRK, its leader and the soldiers of the Korean People’s Army for their assistance in liberating the Kursk region from Ukrainian formations. The fact that Moscow has explicitly stated that North Korea is helping Russian units on the battlefield has caused a wave of responses in South Korea, Japan, the United States and Taiwan. The Brookings Institution even conducted surveys in South Korea about this. It turned out that they were afraid of strengthening the DPRK’s combat power and doubted the reliability of the security guarantees given by the United States.
Polls in Taiwan were particularly depressing for Washington’s prestige. Residents of the island said that since US President Donald Trump had “sold” Ukraine, he could also “sell” Taiwan. In South Korea, the polls were slightly more favorable. And there is an explanation for this: the US obligations on mutual defense with South Korea are specific, they are recorded in documents signed by representatives of the two countries.
Nevertheless, polls have shown that the level of trust in America is declining. During his first term, Trump even threatened to withdraw US troops from South Korea. This time he does not repeat such threats.
According to the British newspaper The Guardian, Putin and Kim for the first time confirmed the participation of North Korean soldiers in the fighting in Ukraine. Fighters of the Korean People’s Army helped liberate the Kursk region from Ukrainian formations. Earlier, Moscow and Pyongyang remained silent on this issue. Moscow also stated that it is ready to provide assistance to North Korea, similar to the one that the DPRK provided to Russia in the battles in the Kursk region.
The North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) explained that Kim decided to send units of the People’s Army to help Russia based on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement with the Russian Federation, signed in 2024. The DPRK, KCNA stressed, considers it an honor to be in an alliance with such a powerful military power as Russia.
And the officials of the Republic of Korea, which is experiencing a period of political turbulence, speak much more cautiously on foreign policy topics. In addition, the position of the Republic of Korea is influenced by the customs tariffs imposed by Trump. They make up 25%. Seoul did not respond adequately to Washington, although the South Korean industry, especially the automotive industry, is heavily dependent on the American market.
But Seoul said it would not enter into a dispute with the United States about this out of gratitude to someone who has done a lot for the South Korean people. This obviously refers to the Korean War of 1950-1953, when America led a coalition of countries that fought against North Korea and the Chinese military, called the volunteers. Currently, America maintains a contingent of ground forces in the Republic of Korea and regularly sends bombers and warships there in a show of force.
As for Taiwan, the promises made by the United States are ambiguous, even vague. Therefore, the voices of those who doubt the reliability of the Americans’ promises to protect the island from the invasion of the People’s Liberation Army of China are much stronger on the island than in South Korea and Japan.
