The war that broke out on February 24, 2022, due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has brought about major changes in the international situation. The international community, including the United Nations, has condemned Russia's invasion and imposed strong economic sanctions, but Russia continues to attack Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russia and North Korea are flaunting their close relationship by strengthening military cooperation. High-level personnel exchanges between the two countries have become active, starting with the visit of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to North Korea in July 2022. In September, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited Russia for the first time in four years and held a summit with President Putin.

During the summit, Kim made it clear that he supports Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and Putin hinted at military cooperation, including providing rocket technology to North Korea. In addition, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited North Korea and announced that Russia, North Korea, and China would strengthen their cooperation against the United States.

In fact, the United States has detected signs that North Korea has provided more than 1,000 ammunition and military supplies to Russia and is wary of the close relationship between North Korea and Russia. In addition, an analysis of debris from North Korean ballistic missiles found in the war zone in Ukraine has raised the possibility that North Korea supplied military supplies to Russia.

As Russia and North Korea's military cooperation becomes more concrete, concerns within the international community are growing. In particular, there are concerns that North Korea, which possesses weapons of mass destruction and nuclear weapons, is intervening in the Ukraine crisis, threatening world peace and security.

Moreover, the suspension of the activities of the UN Security Council Panel of Experts on North Korea in May 2023 has raised concerns that the international community's monitoring of North Korea's violations of sanctions and development of nuclear missiles will become more difficult. Experts warn that the suspension of the panel's activities could lead to an increase in sanctions violations and accelerate North Korea's military cooperation with Russia.

Meanwhile, China's actions are also attracting attention. While China has kept a certain distance from Russia and the Ukraine crisis, it is aligning itself with Russia on the North Korea issue. China opposes North Korea's seventh nuclear test, but it has joined Russia in vetoing a UN Security Council resolution on sanctions against North Korea.

China is North Korea's most important economic and political sponsor. If North Korea utilizes both China and Russia to strengthen its cooperation against the United States, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula will become even more distant. Therefore, the United States and the international community are expected to focus on containing China from Russia and North Korea.

Of course, it is not easy for the West to impose effective sanctions on Russia and China, as they are heavily dependent on each other economically. However, the international community should at least join forces to prevent Russia and North Korea from developing and spreading nuclear weapons. The future of the international situation surrounding the Ukraine crisis, along with the direction of the trilateral alliance of Russia, North Korea, and China, has emerged as a major challenge that must continue to be monitored.