North Korea's Nuclear Assistance to Russia: Not the First Instance
December 16, 2021 9:33 AM
By Congressional Research Service
Russia's nuclear assistance to North Korea is not the first instance of an established nuclear power providing such aid to a non-nuclear state. In the 1950s and 1960s, the United States provided nuclear assistance to France and the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union provided nuclear assistance to China.
However, Russia's assistance to North Korea is unique in several respects. First, it is the first time that a nuclear power has provided nuclear assistance to a state that is not a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Second, Russia's assistance to North Korea has been more extensive than any other nuclear assistance provided by an established nuclear power to a non-nuclear state.
Russia's nuclear assistance to North Korea has had a significant impact on the development of North Korea's nuclear program. North Korea's first nuclear test in 2006 was conducted using a nuclear device that was based on a Russian design. North Korea's subsequent nuclear tests have also been based on Russian designs.
Russia's nuclear assistance to North Korea has been a major source of concern for the international community. The United Nations Security Council has passed several resolutions condemning North Korea's nuclear program and demanding that North Korea abandon all nuclear weapons and nuclear-related programs.
Despite the international community's concerns, North Korea has continued to develop its nuclear program. North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests since 2006, and it is believed to have a nuclear arsenal of up to 60 nuclear weapons.
Conclusion
Through the most tense encounters with President Vladimir V Putin's Russia over the past decade, the Kremlin's alleged assistance to Pyongyang serves as a stark reminder that the threat of nuclear proliferation remains a grave concern, and underscores that diplomacy remains the only viable path towards denuclearization.
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