Russia is not among the countries most directly or most intimately affected by North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, such as the United States, South Korea or China. Any malfunction or other mishap with North Korea’s nuclear tests or missile launches could mean contamination in Russia itself. The Russian government is also eager to curb the further deployment of American missile-defense systems in South Korea and Japan, which both those countries are pursuing to protect themselves against North Korea. North Korea will not denuclearize; it’s too late for that. One project that has been discussed in the past involves building gas pipelines from Russia to South Korea through North Korea.

Source: New York Times September 18, 2017 07:41 UTC