Discussions about North Korea often focus on China, but it was actually Russia, formerly known as the Soviet Union, that played the central role in establishing the new country in 1945. The Soviet Union and North Korea enjoyed mostly strong relations until the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s. For much of the Cold War, North Korea was closer to the Soviet Union than to China.
But it is also true that North Korea did not trust Russia. It sees itself as being surrounded by great powers –Russia, China, Japan, the US– that will stab it in the back, if doing so advances the interests of the stronger countries. The relationship with the Soviet Union was one of dependence, and the USSR was always the stronger player. When the Soviet Union collapsed the effects for the North Korean government were devastating. It lost its main source of economic and military aid, and a powerful military ally armed with nuclear weapons was suddenly making nice with its sworn enemy, South Korea. In a matter of a few short years, North Korea would descend into famine.
Over time, the new Russia had a complicated relationship with North Korea. Russia supported international sanctions and efforts to stop Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile tests. However, it also cut deals with North Korea that undercut those sanctions. It is unlikely either country was particularly happy with the relationship, but national interests and a shared history sustained it until the next big development in Russia-DPRK relations, the war in Ukraine.