Is Vladimir Putin sending 70 animals to North Korea as gifts, a sign of growing friendship or a strategic move in a deepening alliance against the West? With North Korea already deploying 3000 troops to help Russia in the Ukraine war and the two nations signing a treaty in June 2024, this gift from Putin is more than just about animals. It’s about power, strategy, and a dangerous shift in global politics.
The Russian government said on Wednesday: “Russia transferred more than 70 animals, including an African lion and two brown bears, to a zoo in the North Korean capital Pyongyang from Moscow’s zoo.”
The government statement added: “The animals were “a gift from (Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Korean people.”
Alexander Kozlov, Russia’s natural resources minister, oversaw the relocation of the animals, who were transported by plane to the Pyongyang Central Zoo accompanied by veterinarians from the Moscow Zoo.
On Thursday, North Korean state media KCNA said it had received rare animals as gifts from Putin.
The Wednesday, November 20 delivery was not the first time Putin had extended such a gesture to North Korea. In April 2024, Russia donated birds, including eagles, cranes and parrots, to the Pyongyang Central Zoo. During that April visit, Kim Jong Un gifted Putin a pair of Pungsan dogs, a local breed, during that trip. The two also took turns driving each other around in a Russian-built Aurus limousine.
Despite Russia and North Korea having a long and complicated history ageing back to the soviet union era, Over the past few years, and particularly since the start of the war in Ukraine, Moscow and Pyongyang have found themselves drawn closer together once more, driven by shared interests and a mutual opposition to Western sanctions.
Their renewed ties peaked when they signed a mutual defense treaty, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, in June 2024. The treaty was ratified by both countries, with Russia completing its ratification process in November 2024 and North Korea ratifying it as a decree on November 12, 2024. The agreement is the biggest defence deal between the two nations since the end of the Cold War.
Reports have surfaced suggesting that at least 3000 North Korean troops have been deployed to assist Russia in its war against Ukraine. While both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied direct involvement, there are indications that North Korean personnel have joined Russian forces in Ukraine. North Korea aims to deploy a total of 10,000 troops to Russia by December, according to reports.
With Western sanctions looming large on Russia and North Korea, is Vladimir Putin’s gift to North Korea the beginning of the formation of one of the greatest alliances in modern-day history?
