Direct commercial flights between Russia and North Korea begin amid closer ties
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Russia Launches Direct Moscow-Pyongyang Flights
Above: North Koreans welcome Russia's Nordwind Airlines' Boeing 777 in Pyongyang on July 28, 2025. Image copyright: Kim Won Jin/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
While few Russians are likely to clamor for a holiday in the world's most repressive and authoritarian nation, this is a sign of the growing closeness between two despotic regimes. North Korea has seen its wealth grow thanks to its aid of Russia during the invasion of Ukraine, meaning that it has little incentive to engage with the West for economic reasons. The dangerous Kim regime is being emboldened by Russia.
Establishment-critical narrative
Shut out of the Western order for its entire existence, North Korea is a testament to the resilience of a people unbowed by foreign pressures. North Korea and Russia are united by their shared isolation in this regard, as they refuse to assent to every Western demand and are attacked mercilessly in the media. One sees an advanced nation assisting Russia in its fight once the media distortion is peeled back.