North Korea has criticised US military support for Taiwan while reaffirming Kim Jong Un's support for Russia.
Closer ties with Russia give Kim more military and diplomatic options, while China remains vital to North Korea's economy.
By backing Moscow and Beijing while keeping talks with Washington open, Kim is widening North Korea's room for manoeuvre.
North Korea has criticised US military support for Taiwan while Kim Jong Un has reaffirmed his support for Russia, highlighting Pyongyang's increasingly close ties with Beijing and Moscow. The two developments are not part of a single military strategy, but together they show how Kim is using those relationships to expand North Korea's room for manoeuvre and challenge US influence in Asia.
The latest criticism came after Taiwan received the first two of 66 F-16V Block 70 fighter jets ordered from the United States. Pyongyang accused Washington of fuelling tensions in the Taiwan Strait and warned the US about the consequences of confronting China over the island. Separately, Kim sent Russian President Vladimir Putin a birthday message reaffirming his support for Moscow and its strategic partnership with North Korea.
North Korea has strengthened its relationships with both China and Russia, while Washington is again seeking engagement with Kim. Reuters reported that Kim told Chinese President Xi Jinping during their June summit that Pyongyang would fully support the “One China” principle. In his message to Putin, Kim said North Korea would continue working with Russia under their comprehensive strategic partnership and described Russia's war as a “sacred war of justice”.
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For North Korea, the effect is to widen its diplomatic options. China remains central to its economic and strategic position, while Russia has become an increasingly important military and political partner. That gives Kim more room to challenge Washington without having to confront the US directly.
Why is North Korea taking a position on Taiwan?
Taiwan is primarily a dispute between China and Taiwan, but the United States plays a major role through its security support for Taipei. North Korea's intervention may therefore appear unusual, but Pyongyang has long opposed the US military presence in East Asia and is closely aligned with Beijing's position on Taiwan.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes US arms sales to Taipei. The United States does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan but remains its principal international backer and arms supplier.
The immediate trigger for Pyongyang's latest criticism was the arrival of the first two F-16V Block 70 fighter jets in Taiwan. North Korea condemned the deliveries and accused Washington of undermining stability in the Taiwan Strait.
A commentary carried by North Korea's state news agency KCNA from international affairs analyst Kim Myong Chol warned that the US “should think twice” about whether it was ready for a “frontal confrontation” with China over Taiwan and whether it could deal with the consequences. Reuters reported the statement as part of Pyongyang's increasingly close alignment with Beijing.
The distinction is important: the warning came from Kim Myong Chol, not Kim Jong Un himself.
Why does Russia matter to Kim?
Russia has become increasingly important to North Korea since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, giving Kim another major military and political partner.
The two countries signed a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2024 that included a mutual defence provision. Since then, their military cooperation has expanded significantly.
North Korea has provided Russia with military support and sent troops to fight alongside Russian forces. Reuters reported that Ukrainian and South Korean estimates put the number of North Korean troops sent to Russia since 2024 at between 14,000 and 15,000.
In his birthday message to Putin, Kim pledged that Pyongyang would continue working with Moscow under their comprehensive strategic partnership. He said he was convinced that Russia's “sacred war of justice” to defend its “sovereignty, security interests and territorial integrity” would end in victory. His message did not explicitly mention Ukraine.
Russia gives Kim another powerful partner at a time when North Korea remains under extensive international sanctions.
Al Jazeera's analysis of the China-North Korea relationship described Russia as giving Pyongyang “another powerful partner” and “more room to manoeuvre”. It also identified potential access to military technology, energy resources and hard currency as benefits for North Korea.
Reuters has reported that North Korean troops have fought in Russia, while Pyongyang has also supplied weapons and other military assistance to Moscow.
Why does Kim still need China?
Russia has not replaced China.
China remains North Korea's largest trading partner and most important neighbour. Beijing also has a long-standing defence relationship with Pyongyang and has a direct interest in preventing instability on the Korean Peninsula.
Al Jazeera described China as providing North Korea with a “vital economic lifeline”, while wanting the North Korean regime “contained and healthy, not cornered or desperate”.
Russia can provide military cooperation and other forms of support. China remains central to North Korea because of its economic weight, geographical position and longstanding relationship with Pyongyang.
The timing also coincides with renewed US efforts to engage North Korea.
Donald Trump has expressed interest in reviving direct diplomacy with Kim. In August, he said Kim had responded to his outreach as his administration moved to reduce US-South Korea military exercises.
Reuters reported that the decision to scale back the exercises raised concerns among US allies about Washington's security commitments in Asia. The report said the move could “fuel growing doubts in the region about U.S. security commitments”.
Trump has also described Kim as a “friend”, saying: “I understand him. He understands me.” Al Jazeera reported the comments as Trump sought to revive engagement with Pyongyang.
Kim, however, does not have to choose between confrontation and negotiation. He can criticise Washington over Taiwan and support Russia while keeping the door open to talks with the US, using both disputes to expand Pyongyang's geopolitical options.
On Taiwan, North Korea is backing China's position and opposing US military support for Taipei, while on Russia, it is backing Moscow and providing military support for Russia's war in Ukraine. Both positions place Pyongyang closer to governments that challenge aspects of US foreign and security policy, while giving Kim additional diplomatic space.
Taken together, these positions allow Pyongyang to reinforce its alignment with Beijing while deepening its military and political relationship with Moscow, without committing North Korea to a direct military role in a potential conflict over Taiwan.
What does this mean for Washington?
The US is dealing with a North Korea that is increasingly connected to a wider set of relationships involving China and Russia.
That does not mean Beijing, Moscow and Pyongyang form a single military bloc. Their interests are not identical.
China prioritises stability on the Korean Peninsula, while Russia has an immediate interest in military cooperation with North Korea. For Kim, maintaining relationships with both powers gives Pyongyang additional options.
North Korea can deepen its military relationship with Russia while maintaining its economic and strategic ties with China. That could make efforts to isolate Pyongyang more difficult.
For Washington, the challenge is therefore not simply North Korea's position on Taiwan or its support for Russia. It is the fact that both relationships can reinforce Kim's bargaining position.
