This article examines how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine impacts peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. Drawing on some neorealist theories of international relations, the article argues that Russia’s war in Ukraine has reduced the likelihood o...
This article examines how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine impacts peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. Drawing on some neorealist theories of international relations, the article argues that Russia’s war in Ukraine has reduced the likelihood of military conflict between North and South Korea. This is because Russian aggression has rapidly accelerated a division between two security blocs in East Asia, one comprising South Korea, the United States, and Japan, and one comprising North Korea, Russia, and China, and this division contributes to regional stability in two ways. First, an unambiguous division of East Asia creates a bipolar region, and a balance of power between the two blocs can be maintained. This article examines how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine impacts peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. Drawing on some neorealist theories of international relations, the article argues that Russia’s war in Ukraine has reduced the likelihood of military conflict between North and South Korea. This is because Russian aggression has rapidly accelerated a division between two security blocs in East Asia, one comprising South Korea, the United States, and Japan, and one comprising North Korea, Russia, and China, and this division contributes to regional stability in two ways. First, an unambiguous division of East Asia creates a bipolar region, and a balance of power between the two blocs can be maintained.