North Korea and Russia Discuss Agricultural Trade Amid Ukraine Conflict

A senior Russian official responsible for the occupied Kherson region of Ukraine recently met with North Korea’s top diplomat in Moscow. They talked about North Korea potentially acquiring agricultural products that have been seized during the ongoing invasion, as reported by South Korean and Russian media over the weekend.

Kherson, along with Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia, was designated by Vladimir Putin in September 2022 as part of Russia. When the invasion began in February 2022, Russia claimed that it was necessary due to the ethnic Russian population facing discrimination from Kiev. However, Ukrainian authorities have firmly rejected any peace negotiations that would recognize Russia’s claims over these territories.

North Korea has displayed robust support for Russia’s actions in Ukraine, and it stands as one of the few nations still actively involved in this conflict. Kim Jong Un has admitted to sending troops, asserting that they are only operating in the Russian territory of Kursk, which Ukraine counter-attacked in 2024. The North Korean leader has also held events to honor soldiers who have died fighting in Europe.

If a deal is reached allowing Pyongyang to access Ukrainian resources like grain from Kherson, it could enhance North Korea’s presence and geopolitical influence in Europe. This comes at a time when sanctions have limited normal economic interactions between North Korea and most European nations.

Vladimir Sardo, a pro-Russian politician who became “governor” of Kherson on October 4, 2022, shared a post on social media featuring a picture from his meeting with North Korea’s ambassador to Moscow, Shin Hong-chul. They discussed trade and “humanitarian” cooperation. According to South Korean reports, Sardo expressed interest in selling agricultural products, including grains and vegetable oils, to North Korea. He also suggested that occupied Ukraine might collaborate with North Korea on sports and educational events, even inviting the ambassador to tour a farm in Kherson to explore these agricultural opportunities.

The mentioned source quoted Sardo, saying that North Korea’s food requirements align with the proposals from the Russian-backed government. North Korea has, for decades, faced severe food shortages despite having significant agricultural land.

The Ukrainian government has condemned both the meeting and the potential agricultural exports from Kherson to North Korea. State media reported that the meeting is typical of the Kremlin’s strategy to legitimize its proxy forces in temporarily occupied regions. The Center for Counter-Disinformation, part of Ukraine’s National Security Council, noted that Sardo’s attempts to portray such interactions as legitimate international cooperation merely aimed to present an illusion of normalization in these occupied areas.

Goods discussed in the trade have been labeled as “stolen Ukrainian grain” by Ukrainian outlets. Another media source linked to Ukraine accused Russia of systematically working to illegally export these seized agricultural products to fund its military efforts.

North Korea’s role in Russia’s invasion became particularly significant after Kim’s visit to Russia in June 2024, where a mutual defense agreement was signed, promising assistance in the face of aggression. By November, evidence emerged from South Korean intelligence suggesting that North Korean troops were indeed participating in the conflict, confirmed later by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who shared footage of captured North Korean soldiers.

Zelensky mentioned Ukraine’s readiness to exchange captured North Korean soldiers for its own fighters held in Russia, but Kim has yet to respond publicly to this offer.

Meanwhile, Kim uses the involvement of his soldiers in the Ukraine conflict as part of state propaganda, even holding ceremonies to honor the fallen. Experts believe Kim’s emotional displays in public are intended to communicate sacrifices to Russian leaders and seek additional aid in return for support of the invasion.

Reports estimate that North Korea might be sending around 15,000 soldiers to Europe to assist in the invasion, with casualties among its troops ranging significantly.