Relationship dossier
North Korea
Ukraine
Relationship assessment
North Korea's recognition of Russian-backed breakaway entities and support for Russia's war against Ukraine have made relations sharply adversarial.
North Korea toward Ukraine
-50North Korea recognized the Russian-backed self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk entities in July 2022, a move Ukraine treated as a violation of its sovereignty. North Korea's support for Russia's war against Ukraine has further intensified the confrontation.
Ukraine toward North Korea
-35Ukraine severed diplomatic relations with North Korea in July 2022 after North Korea recognized the Russian-backed breakaway entities in eastern Ukraine. Details of additional direct Ukrainian government measures toward North Korea are limited.
Overall relationship
-50The relationship is shaped by North Korea's alignment with Russia in the war against Ukraine and its recognition of Russian-backed breakaway entities. Ukraine's severing of diplomatic relations in response left little basis for bilateral engagement and reinforced the adversarial character of ties.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Relations are sharply adversarial. North Korea recognized the Russian-backed breakaway entities in eastern Ukraine in 2022, prompting Ukraine to sever diplomatic relations. North Korea's support for Russia's war against Ukraine has further aggravated the relationship. Ukraine's response has included ending diplomatic ties; details of other direct bilateral measures are limited.
Areas of tension
- North Korea's recognition of the Russian-backed Donetsk and Luhansk entities, which Ukraine regards as part of its sovereign territory.
- North Korea's support for Russia's war against Ukraine.
Key developments
North Korea recognized the Russian-backed self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk entities; Ukraine subsequently severed diplomatic relations with North Korea.
Major uncertainties
- The scope of North Korean military and material support to Russia, and its direct implications for Ukraine, remains unclear.
- Details of Ukraine's direct government measures toward North Korea beyond severing diplomatic relations are limited.