Military cooperation between Russia and North Korea has highlighted their unequal relationship, according to a study by the German Friedrich Naumann Foundation, cited by DPA, BTA reported.
The report by the liberal think tank, titled "Unequal Partnership", reports that Pyongyang has supplied Moscow with large quantities of weapons, ammunition and soldiers, while reciprocal aid from Russia has been limited and has had almost no impact on North Korea's economy.
Olga Guseinova, a researcher in Seoul, believes that since 2023, North Korea has provided weapons worth at least $5.6 billion and sent 15,000 soldiers to support Russia in the war in Ukraine. The compensation from Russia is estimated at between $450 million and $1.2 billion, based on intelligence data, briefings and information from publicly available sources.
The report states that North Korea has received food products and some air defense systems, but very little hard currency.
The study also notes the beginnings of contradictions in the de facto alliance between the two countries. North Korean state media recently admitted that senior officers in the North Korean army criticized the Russian armed forces for their poor coordination and strategic mistakes in the early stages of the war in Ukraine.
This can be concluded that North Korea blames Russia for the high number of casualties in the conflict, the South Korean media outlet "NK News" reported. In turn, South Korean intelligence estimates that about 2,000 North Korean servicemen died in the war. It also believes that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is unhappy with the compensation Russia is offering for sending troops.
Russia and North Korea signed a strategic partnership agreement last year, pledging mutual support in the event of an attack.