KEI is proud to release newest work in its Academic Paper Series, Russia and the Two Koreas in the Context of Moscow’s Asian Policy by Dr. Stephen Blank.

Russia’s desired ascent to a great independent power is contingent upon its rise in Asia, wherein conflict on the Korean Peninsula could undermine its global strategy of catalyzing multipolarity. The tenuous security situation stemming from North Korea is of great concern to Moscow, which it attempts to manage through offering economic incentives and balancing against other powers. Maintaining influence in Pyongyang to secure stability in the region is vital for Russian interests, yet is a complex challenge which Dr. Blank delineates in this paper.