North Korea's deterrent and its Russia/China partnerships are legitimate

In this position, North Korea's nuclear deterrent and its partnerships with Russia and China are legitimate exercises of sovereignty. Its advocates speak of friendship, mutual cooperation and treaty ties between states under sanctions, and present the deepening of those ties as lawful and as serving peace and stability in the region.

Outlets associated with Russia and with China carry the position, as do the leaders and officials of those states. It appears in the standoff on the Korean Peninsula, in North Korea's alignment with Russia, described as a lawful partnership of sanctioned states, and in China's patronage of North Korea, described as friendship and regional stability.

The competing position holds that North Korea's advancing proliferation and its closed, hardening posture are a growing threat that must be contained. Recent events show the ties the position describes: the opening of the first road bridge between Russia and North Korea, Putin's praise for North Korean troops, a state visit by Xi Jinping to Pyongyang and the anniversary of the China-North Korea friendship treaty. Ukraine voiced concern that the bridge could ease military supply, and the Xi-Kim summit made no public mention of denuclearization.