The Russia-North Korea defense pact leaves no doubt about Russian  President Vladimir Putin’s determination to overthrow the existing  international order. But the agreement could also strain the Kremlin’s  relations with China, potentially disrupting Sino-Russian efforts to  undermine Western unity.  

 A week later, during a two-day visit to Pyongyang, he signed a  strategic defense pact with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Russia  and North Korea pledged to provide each other with immediate military  assistance in the event of war, leaving no doubt about the Kremlin’s  determination to undermine the US-led international order by forming  alliances with authoritarians around the world.  In his hour-long address on June 14, just before a Ukraine-led peace  summit in Switzerland, Putin covered a wide range of topics. He began  with the so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine, discussed the  “inevitable” emergence of a new multipolar world order, and addressed  Western efforts to “restrain the development of the Global South,” noting  Russia’s presidency of the BRICS+ group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and  South Africa, as well as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United  Arab Emirates). 

  In addition to his usual grievances, Putin outlined Russia’s conditions  for peace in Ukraine, demanding that Ukrainian forces withdraw from  the four regions annexed by Russia in 2022. Ukrainian President  Volodymyr Zelensky quickly rejected these terms, which bear a  Striking resemblance to the ultimatum issued by Putin at the outset of the  invasion. Zelensky’s rejection was echoed by NATO Secretary-  General Jens Stoltenberg, who emphasized that it is Russia that must  Even prominent Russian commentators recognized Putin’s demands as unrealistic,  viewing them as an attempt to pressure the West rather than a genuine  attempt to achieve peace.   

Putin also confirmed once again that Russia is at war not only with  Ukraine – which it considers a proxy – but with the West, especially the  United States. Predicting the imminent collapse of the “entire system of  Euro-Atlantic security” and denouncing Western strategies for ensuring  Europe’s defense, Putin outlined a five-step plan for establishing a  Eurasian system of bilateral and multilateral collective-security guarantees.  This framework, Putin argued, would complement Chinese global  security initiatives, marking another stage in Russia’s “no limits”  partnership with China. Stressing that the new security alliance would be  open to NATO members, Putin urged European countries to reconsider  the military presence of “external powers in the Eurasian region” – a  clear departure from NATO principles.  

 While these arguments were not new, the emphasis on the Global South,  particularly Africa and Latin America, stood out. Like other  demagogues and authoritarians, Putin highlighted the significance of  BRICS+ as a geopolitical counterweight to Western power and  expressed support for efforts to develop an independent payment  system for member countries, free from Western control. This is part of  Russia’s broader strategy to undermine the existing global financial  architecture, thereby mitigating the impact of US-led economic sanctions.  The timing of Putin’s speech was not coincidental. It reflected the  Kremlin’s ongoing effort to shape critical policy debates in the West and  influence election campaigns in countries like France, where Marine Le  Pen’s far-right National Rally could undermine European efforts to devise  a coherent Russia strategy.    

 A significant portion of Putin’s speech was dedicated to the European  Union, which he has long considered subordinate to the US. In a clear  attempt to revive old divisions, he addressed “politicians of truly  European and global scale” who are “patriots of their countries and  nations” and who, like the late French President Charles de Gaulle,  understand that Europe’s well-being depends on maintaining friendly  relations with Russia.    Putin, of course, neglected to mention his own efforts to undermine the  existing global order. Together with China, Russia has long acted as a  spoiler in the United Nations Security Council. But Russia’s recent actions  such as using its veto to end a humanitarian mission to rebel-  controlled areas in Syria and to shut down an expert panel monitoring  with economic sanctions on North Korea have alarmed international diplomats.    The terms of the security pact with Kim mirror the 1961 treaty between  the Soviet Union and North Korea and represent a significant escalation,  even by Putin’s standards. In addition to North Korean support for Putin’s  war of aggression in Ukraine, the agreement signals increased Russian  support for Kim’s nuclear ambitions, to the detriment of North Korea’s  neighbors, including China.  

 In response, South Korea summoned the Russian ambassador  and announced that it will consider sending weapons to Ukraine. China,  North Korea’s largest trading partner, has sought to distance itself from  this rogue alliance. But Russia’s advances could ultimately erode  China’s influence over North Korea and escalate tensions with the West.  thus jeopardizing Chinese President Xi Jinping’s long-term geopolitical ambitions.    Given that Putin is unlikely to abandon his efforts to erode Western  unity and undermine the current international order, the West should  focus on exploiting any potential rifts, even minor ones, between  Russia and China. In this regard, Putin’s alliance with Kim offers an ideal  opportunity to weaken the Sino-Russian partnership. Ana Palacio, a former minister of foreign affairs of Spain and former senior vice president and general counsel of the World Bank Group, is a visiting lecturer at Georgetown University. Jun 24, 2024. From The Financial Express.