By Christina Xu '18Though Barack Obama, David Cameron, and Angela Merkel are boycotting Russia’s World War II Victory Day celebrations this May in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has at least found a friend in North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who will be attending the event as his first official diplomatic outing. Described by North Korea expert Nicholas Eberstadt as a “screw you” policy towards the international community conducted out of spite, Putin’s invitation reflects strengthening relations between the two odd leaders.Russian overtures towards North Korea have been developing ever since Putin’s controversial move to annex Crimea. That same move has resulted in increased Western military presence in Russian territory and heightened tensions between Russia and the West. Dubbed the “Year of Friendship,” 2015 is set to involve trade and investment deals as well as closer financial cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.This new friendship is somewhat unexpected, as relations between Russia and North Korea have been minimal in the past 20 years. Since the Cold War, Russia has always been eclipsed by China in terms of control over the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Furthermore, North Korea has paled in terms of economic opportunity for Russia in comparison to the investment/trade-abundant South Korea. Even recently at a summit with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Putin expressed disapproval of Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear programs.There are, however, a few potential reasons for Russia’s newfound interest in North Korea. Russia stands to gain enhanced mobility in the Asian sphere: perhaps a trade route or even a future oil pipeline. Putin has been moving towards heightened influence in Asia; with greater sway in North Korea, Putin certainly would have a greater say in North Korea’s nuclear development, which Russia has a vested interest in preventing.But perhaps the most important consequence is symbolic. While Russia hopes to reaffirm and demonstrate its importance in Asia, its involvement with North Korea serves to immediately provoke Western powers, which have been escalating sanctions in an attempt to force the nation to halt both its nuclear development and human rights abuses. Richard Weitz, a Russia expert with the Hudson Institute, described the invitation as an act of political theater geared towards undermining Western efforts in North Korea and promoting Putin’s own sense of importance in the international community.Indeed, there have not been many visible results from the new entente. Moscow has yet to invest or provide financial aid; though much has been said about stronger economic ties, Russia has little to gain from the impoverished and undeveloped nation, which lags economically behind all of its neighbors. While North Korea could benefit greatly from Russian trade and investment, the nation has been seeking more diverse international relations to counterbalance Beijing’s influence. Ultimately, Russian and North Korean long-term interests do not seem to align; whether anything other than Putin’s news headlines will come of the Year of Friendship remains to be seen.Sources:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/doug-bandow/russia-and-north-korea-pl_b_6934976.htmlhttp://www.cnn.com/2015/03/20/politics/vladimir-putin-kim-jong-un-russia-north-korea/index.html