Editor’s note: The following article is an opinion piece by Benjamin R. Young, a researcher and analyst of North Korea and U.S.-East Asia relations. Views expressed in opinion articles are exclusively the author’s own and do not represent those of NK News.

North Korean soldiers marched in Russia’s Victory Day Parade for the first time this month, showcasing to the world that the allies have never been more in sync.

While punditry focused on Kim Jong Un’s absence, the presence of North Korean troops carried a deeper symbolic weight, effectively solidifying Pyongyang’s induction into the Russkiy Mir: