In the midst of escalating tensions with the United States, North Korea has announced its alignment with Russia and emphasized their strategic partnership. The Asian nation revealed that it has reached an agreement with Russia for further cooperation to establish a "new multi-polarised international order," as both countries face increasing pressure from the US.

Last week, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui held meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. The North Korean Foreign Ministry reported that Putin expressed his willingness to visit Pyongyang in the near future, reinforcing the growing ties between the two nations.

This cooperation between North Korea and Russia has been evident since September when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Russia for a summit with Putin. Kim has been seeking to break free from diplomatic isolation and strengthen his position as he confronts a deepening nuclear standoff with Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo.

Critics have raised concerns about the alleged arms cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, suggesting that North Korea provides Russia with munitions to support its ongoing conflict in Ukraine in exchange for economic aid and military assistance to enhance Kim's forces. However, both North Korea and Russia have rejected these accusations by the US and South Korea.

In a separate statement, North Korea's Foreign Ministry condemned the UN Security Council for calling an emergency meeting regarding its recent ballistic missile test. The ministry defended the test as a part of routine activities to improve defense capabilities, denying any threat to neighboring countries.

South Korea has urged the Security Council to address North Korea's increasing missile tests and threats. However, Russia and China, permanent members of the council, have hindered the US-led efforts to impose additional sanctions on North Korea, further highlighting the division resulting from Russia's conflict in Ukraine.

With tensions on the Korean Peninsula reaching a significant high, Kim has utilized Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a distraction to intensify weapons tests and military demonstrations. In response, the US, South Korea, and Japan have strengthened their joint military exercises and deterrence plans, portraying them as necessary precautions in the face of North Korea's nuclear capabilities.

In the latest development, North Korea revealed that it conducted a test of an alleged nuclear-capable underwater attack drone as a response to a combined naval exercise by the US, South Korea, and Japan. North Korea consistently blames its rivals for the escalation of tensions in the region.

Choe's visit to Moscow occurred at a time when Kim used domestic political events to make provocative threats of nuclear conflict. During a session of North Korea's parliamentary meeting, Kim declared the abandonment of the long-standing goal of peaceful unification with South Korea and ordered the rewriting of North Korea's constitution, characterizing South Korea as its most hostile foreign adversary.

Experts speculate that North Korea's actions aim to undermine South Korea's influence in the nuclear standoff and eventually establish direct negotiations with the US, solidifying its status as a nuclear weapons state. As tensions continue to rise, the world watches closely the evolving dynamics between North Korea, Russia, and the United States.