Why North Korea allied with Russia

[@JamesKerLindsay]

This week, I’m taking a look at the growing reports that North Korea is preparing to send forces to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine. While it may have seemed like Ukrainian scaremongering, South Korean intelligence has supported the claims today. So, do you think it will happen? What really lies behind it all? How will it affect the Ukraine War? And what should be the appropriate reaction if it is true? As always, I look forward to your thoughts and comments below.

[@FlamingBasketballClub]

Something tells me you don't support the non alignment movement.

[@Sikader]

How many shall stay fighting and how many shall defect in a week, it doesn't really matter because none of them shall be competent in the battlefield...

[@AL-lh2ht]

NK and russia are allied because they are both the most sanctioned countries on earth, this isn't complicated, why didn't you just say that?

[@chrisrosenkreuz23]

Another evil totalitarian regime attacks an European country. Are European leaders going to react? Yes, they are probably gonna cut funds to Ukr because it is Sudetenland all over again.

[@heinedenmark]

You are so far behind, that it's not really interesting.

[@ElijsDima]

So uh how is that "Escalation Management" going? Scholz must be super proud of himself.

[@TheLovescream]

Leadership ordered, leadership delivered or smthg

[@shakiMiki]

He's too busy focusing on facilitating genocide of Palestinians. People who are paying the real price of the Holocaust.

[@chrisrosenkreuz23]

Like trying to use words in a boxing match

[@FrankThings-t2c]

the worst bit is that the biggest competition is the pro-Russia AfD

[@usun_politics1033]

Ghost of Kiiiv reports. It's utter bullshit with Ukraine grasping at straws.

[@Trofusky]

side note but Professor, no joke, if you dropped merch I would absolutely buy some. I need a shirt that says "'All this' - JKL" or "'however' -JKL". Long time fan of your work, thanks again for this analysis, it's always the highlight of my Friday lunch hour here in the US.

[@weepingscorpion8739]

Brilliant idea. "Hello, and welcome" could be another one :)

[@jacobdavison93]

Howeverrrrr*

[@deadchannelxd4910]

The glazing is crazy

[@Licensed_To_Chill]

I would buy one that said "An informed look" -JKL

[@photon1899]

"and it is against THIS backdrop" - JKL

[@wiseian8473]

As always, well done. One of my main sources for context to world affairs.

[@arnoldussineamico498]

I am curious about what kind of troops are the DPRK sending? Is it an one-time arrangement? How will the Russians use them coz 15k troops would not last long in russian offensive operation; and what would DPRK get from this deal.

[@achmedaan]

The South Korean government released a statement saying North Korea is sending special forces

[@FOLIPE]

I suppose they'd be similar to the nato troops in Ukraine - mostly there to learn about modern warfare

[@davidboskett5581]

North Korea has huge army.Even if they have 10,000 casualties a month they have a standing army of over 1.5 million men to draw on.The DPRK will not be supplying troops free of charge. Along with their weapons and ammunition sales they are doing very well financially out of the war. Plus they are giving their troops real combat experience and gaining new technology in drone warfare.

[@olivka7560]

Same as Polish British French Canadian American and Chechen “ Islamic stare lover” fighters. Fighters are fighters, tgey contact something as international legion. If you want to fight for Ukraine you can.

[@ZemanTheMighty]

@@arnoldussineamico498 The North Koreans promised to send troops months ago. I don’t know why everyone is acting like this is new. But what they promised to send were combat engineers and other forces for the back line. People seem to have a misconception that they’re going to be on the frontline shooting at Ukrainians. Most probably not

[@branscombeR]

Brilliant and timely overview, as always ... historic background especially useful. R (Australia)

[@WorldTravelerCooking]

And if North Korea is sending non-combat troops (army engineers etc) this then is not about casualty rates or their replacements but about the fact that digging tunnels etc have proven to be extremely important for recent Russian victories, and so increasing a critical piece of operational forces is something that could dramatically improve Russian effectiveness. This war is built on earthen defenses and often the solution to this has involved a lot of shovelwork. This is also one of the big surprises to me has been the successful use of LPR/DPR troops by Russia in this role against Ukrainian fortified positions. Adding North Korean troops here would be a game changer.

[@mipa8581]

Also if you know anything about tunnels and the DPRK/ROK DMZ... The North Koreans might be learning valuable lessons that can be very transferable back on the peninsula.

[@N34R4T0M4T]

Very informative and great delivery, instant subscribed!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much! And a very warm welcome to the channel.

[@kingneptune4200]

Really loved this video, I would like to see the realist vs liberalism perspective on this developing situation.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. Great suggestion. You have given me an idea! :-)

[@seneca983]

Btw, have you ever considered doing a collab with William Spaniel?

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Great idea. He is very good. I might see if I can set something up.

[@johnosullivan2197]

According to the spaniel Ukraine are winning 🤣🤣🤣

[@seneca983]

@@johnosullivan2197 Where has he claimed that? It sounds like you're making stuff up.

[@Behemoth29]

@@seneca983 He has been claiming it since 2022.

[@seneca983]

@@Behemoth29 Where has he claimed that? I don't recall him saying "Ukraine is winning" or anything like that.

[@GababoBule]

Thanks you prof james nice video today 👍

[@abdirizakafweyne5358]

Thanks for news updating everything happened in our entireworld and every situation how it started and now how is running. Thants

[@puzzled012]

ah, so up until now Ukraine was winning?! btw the claim is based on report from SK that 1500 NK soldiers crossed the border with Russia (probably for some training or small joint exercise).

[@edwardgrigoryan3982]

Thank you for another informative video. May I ask if there is a specific resource or repository you use for the maps in your videos? They are very well made and rich in information, I often find myself pausing and studying them for a while.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks, Edward. I use ‘The Map Archive’ www.themaparchive.com It is really excellent. But I also find that maps produced by the UN can be a fantastic resource.

[@WorldTravelerCooking]

Another major benefit for North Korea is that experience with the Ukraine battlefield is likely to shape North Korea's military strategy going forward. This is a new kind of warfare, what we might call post-modern warfare and as a result, clear understandings of how it is fought would benefit North Korea.

[@SerebralK]

Hi James, great video as usual. I have a question. How do you keep on top of all the news you read? What's your 'routine' so to speak? Do you use news aggregators like Feedly? Any tips on staying up to date on int'l relations/global politics/geopolitics? Ty!

[@abdifatah8520]

Brilliant analysis, Professor. Your balanced perspective and thorough research make complex global issues much easier to grasp. Always a pleasure to watch your content.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much! :-) I really and truly appreciate it! I hope that all is well at your end.

[@saabajoe]

Sooo.. because Zelenski said so we're going to reported as fact? I'd use hypothetical language for objectivity, else it sounds a whole lot like propaganda.

[@danielshroyer9133]

Excellent as always.

[@JahBeatSoundSystem]

Thank you, love your video's

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much!

[@JahBeatSoundSystem]

Thank you for your in depth, but easy to understand explanations.

[@Clampers]

Fascinating James, a really insightful video.

[@kamimakesstories6337]

I find the impact of giving in to naked aggression about as scary as several dictators knowing they'd be entering into a suicide pact if they launched a nuclear weapon. They're both horrible options honestly. May as well stand up now when we can best handle it in my opinion

[@ivanabc1850]

Did you buy a new camera? The picture looks better.

[@OrwellsHousecat]

No, he's wearing makeup

[@cesargonzalez4146]

North Korea has repeatedly shown it doesn't need to be formally at war to involve itself in conflicts around the world, most people don't know it but the DPRK has provided military support to revolutionary and marxist groups and regimes since the sixties, gaining experience in modern warfare and stretching relations with its allies and coreligionnaires.

[@LeadLeftLeon]

I guess you don’t need to be a great power to militarily meddle in other countries

[@manyulgarprsch]

All of the Eastern Block countries used to do this until 1989.

[@cesargonzalez4146]

@@manyulgarprsch exactly, I was shocked when I learned that there was czechoslovak "military advisors" in Angola and Namibia in the seventies, or DDR agents supporting the FARC, among many other examples.

[@jamesewanchook2276]

good channel.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you!

[@cletusgadsden2969]

I wonder hiw many would try to escape and/or fight for the other side?

[@antunmcmagnais8856]

@@cletusgadsden2969 My thoughts, too.

[@wadialrimal]

@@cletusgadsden2969 they're an elite forces and they're trained very well they won't go to the west because they're loyal to their country and leader

[@close_all_tabs]

Depends on how many chocolate bars we send to Ukraine in the next aid package.

[@jogo798]

Will happen but not in a significant number since their families are in north

[@bolsa3136]

Im sure their families are held hostage...

[@DR.Detroit11]

20k troops that’s like 9 days of fighting before they are unalived.

[@jamesoconnor5908]

@@DR.Detroit11 with how Russia is going to use them... then they count themselves lucky to last 9 days

[@CedarHunt]

It says a lot that this is even a subject for discussion. This same topic would have seemed like a parody headline even 5 years ago. I will be curious to see if other countries decide to send troops into Ukraine now that the door is open and how badly this will weaken the Kim regime.

[@khersonskiyarbuzkhersonski2460]

There are tens of thousands of mercenaries in Ukraine from NATO countries and Australia, including at least 600-1000 from Colombia, who it is not clear how they get to Ukraine. And this is not aggression against Russia. Then why are mercenaries from North Korea, who will be legally registered as volunteers of the Russian army, making a war between the North Korea against Ukraine here. There is no legal logic here.

[@CedarHunt]

@@khersonskiyarbuzkhersonski2460 There is a pretty obvious difference between mercenaries and volunteers signing up to fight for a side in a war and a country sending their armed forces as official combatants in a war. Why even try to make the comparison?

[@khersonskiyarbuzkhersonski2460]

@@CedarHunt There is no such thing as a legal concept. Any volunteer is a mercenary. Tens of thousands of mercenaries from many countries are fighting for Ukraine. There are just mercenaries, and there is an army. North Korean soldiers registered through Russian mobilization points are not North Korean aggression against Ukraine.

[@CedarHunt]

@@khersonskiyarbuzkhersonski2460That's not even slightly true. There is a very significant difference between volunteers and mercenaries in the laws of war. None of that has any bearing on the fact that North Korea is sending their national armed forces to fight as official combatants, which is a new escalation in the war and opens the door to other countries doing the same.

[@blackmantis3130]

​@@CedarHuntif you're being paid you're a mercenary

[@kurdkurdistani]

Thanks for your video and presentation. It will be a great learning if you make a video on the war ongoing in/around Israel. Especially about two important countries when it comes to wars in Middle East, Iran and Turkey.

[@KilroyishereYT]

Agreements for "Korean Space Rockets"... The only difference between a space rocket and an ICBM is one it puts a payload into an orbit while the second brings it down to earth at a chosen point.

[@quartercast]

Hi Prof, does committing ground troops to a war between third parties constitute a declaration of war? It seems that committing "military advisors" does not. I'm wondering at what point it ceases being a conflict between third parties and turn into a battle between co-beligerents. Thank you!

[@IK_MK]

I dont think this will lead to a world war... At worst it will be like when Cuba sent troops to help fight the Angolan Civil war

[@-zorkaz-5493]

I think at this point in the conflict, even NATO involvement would not necessarily lead to worldwide nuclear war. I do reckon there is a fair chance we would see the deployment of multiple tactical nukes within Ukraine however.

[@Southern21076]

I’ve seen 0 evidence that n.kore soldiers ar in Ukraine

[@Konstantin2004]

You should look more then

[@abdu7095]

Putin: "I need more additional soldiers" Russia Military: "From Chechen sir?" Putin: "From North Korea"

[@robertoperez3714]

To be honest russia doesn't have to much to loose

[@joshdanao4987]

Hello Professor, This is out of topic but I need your advice on this. I’m really interested in international relations, and i want that area to be the focus of my career, but what I’m worried about is that it’s a major in the Bachelor of Arts (in the university I’m applying to), and I know the job prospects for people with a Bachelor of Arts is dim, since there is so many of them. I’m also very interested in Law as well, not quite in becoming a lawyer for the rest of my life but for a couple years initially at least and then transition into politics, the foreign service or other areas in international relations. What would you recommend to a 20 year old such as me?

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Hi Josh, which country are you in? If it’s available, how about a degree in International Relations and Law? I’ve always thought that International Relations is a really great combination with either law or economics. (My first degree was Politics and Economics and then IR for my masters and PhD.) if you are in the U.K. just check on latest requirements for a legal career, in case that is something you want to pursue later. In the US, I’m not sure if this is possible. Really, law and IR is a great combination. If I could go back, that’s the route I would go! :-)

[@joshdanao4987]

@@JamesKerLindsay Hi! I live in Australia. Do you mean a double degree of Law and Arts (major in IR)? And yeah I know that combining IR with either law and economics would probably be a great idea but 5 years is a long time and I don’t want to rack up too big of a student debt (17k x 5yrs= 85k, though it’s not as big as the Americans). And if I do decide to study a double degree, would that be sufficient in qualifications itself? Like I don’t think I would go to the academic route and become a professor. But I do hear that the current job landscape is competitive, so completing a postgraduate/masters would give me an upper hand? I don’t know to be honest

[@Magumbo58]

​@@JamesKerLindsayHi, I am a young lady in southern Africa and have a Master's degree in International Relations and Diplomacy. I am thinking of focusing on Peace and Conflict Studies for the PHD. There is always talk about how these areas of study are useless and difficult for women to use in the real world. What's your take on that? Can one build a sound career with this kind of combination of degrees? Please help.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

@@Magumbo58 Hi there! So glad to hear that you are thinking about doing a PhD. That sounds like a really nice idea. Most obviously, and traditionally, a PhD prepared people for a career in academia. However, things have changed. These days it can open up many career paths. I know many people in the British Foreign Office with PhDs. The same in the United States. And there are many working in other organisations, including the UN. But you need to think hard about your goals, your career prospects and what you want to achieve by doing a PhD. It is a tough process, but very rewarding. Also, choosing the right subject and supervisor is really important. You have to have something that is going to sustain your interest for 3-4 years. But really glad you are thinking about it. Good luck! 🤞🙂

[@JamesKerLindsay]

@@joshdanao4987 Hi Josh, I’m not suggesting you do two degrees. In the U.K. you can combine subjects. So, for example, if you just did a course in IR you might need to complete 12 modules. But if you do a combined, you might do 6 in IR and 6 from, say, economics. Some places also offer even more precise formulations. For example, IR with Economics would be 8 modules from IR and 4 from economics; a 2/3 vs 1/3 split. Check out whether that is the case in Australia. But, as I said, you also need to bear in mind the requirements for becoming a lawyer. For example, it maybe that they require 8 modules of law, including certain key subjects. In that case, a split with IR with 6 modules each wouldn’t be enough to meet the requirements. You really need to speak to a careers advisor. I don’t know the structure of undergrad courses in Australia or the requirements for a legal career. But my general point is that it may be possible to combine law and IR. You need to look into it.

[@AllStatus0843]

Are you looking for a Thumbnail designer?

[@lascm5237]

The main issue is at this point neither of these dictators has anything to lose. To them life is cheap and expendable for their own people along with everyone else They will never now be in a winning position so they probably view it as ‘all-in, what the hell’ until something or someone eventually stops them.

[@louisgiokas2206]

One thing I find a little funny (in a perverse way) is all the mania about the inclusion of another country in Ukraine conflict. Just look at the history of the major wars after WWII. First there was the Korean War. The US was already there on the side of the South. Then, when the North was basically defeated the Chinese jumped in. The Soviets were there as well. There were also British troops involved among others. Just as an aside I think you might appreciate this. When I lived in the UK I had a neighbor, who had been a Major in the Regiment of Artillery in both WWII and Korea. From his family name I guess that his lineage is old Norman. He had a pair of cavalry swords on his living room wall that one of his ancestors carried in the Crimean War. He had some great stories. In fact, for his 80th birthday he and his wife took a cruise on the Volga after the fall of the Soviet Union. In Vietnam there were also British and Australian troops among others. After the Cold War we had the Gulf War. There were many countries, including the UK, that sent troops. Remember all the hype about the "coalition of the willing" in the invasion of Iraq? How about Afghanistan? The involvement of other countries was seen as a good thing. My own point of view is that this situation should justify the use of European and perhaps American forces. It should start with airpower. Even if this was limited to skies over Ukraine, and any Russian aircraft that can be reached within Russia by missiles from the planes. But then, I tend to be more aggressive in these matters.

[@andrewlewis9231]

Well, what you can be certain of is North Korean balloon's dropping waste on the South won't contain any food waste.

[@marsspacex6065]

Why isn’t Europe helping with troops. This is you own continent.

[@PoweredByLS2]

Because of a little thing called WW3. Hello McFly!?!?!

[@bilic8094]

They would if they could.

[@fpsserbia6570]

That nuclear deals are ridiculous, it is like 9 people with guns coming in a room with186 others who are not allowed to have one for some reason ............ the first thing i would do is try to get one to, common sense

[@devos3212]

Will you review the book “On Wars” by Michael Mann?

[@JesterEric]

They are sending observers to learn about modern warfare. Particularly in the Kursk region

[@downix]

And why will it happen this time? This is the 6th time it has been claimed. It hasnt been true yet, so why now?

[@korpiz]

North Korea would send medical and engineering corps as well as drones and drone control units, maybe some special forces keeping a very low profile. They would not send large amounts of army soldiers for traditional warfare.

[@nc2933]

Putin grovelling to North Korea for help is pathetic.

[@THEGREATAFFILIATOR]

It's for Korea to gain experience

[@nc2933]

@@THEGREATAFFILIATOR they won't come home from Ukraine

[@davidboskett5581]

I dont think Putin has to grovel -they both need each other.North Korea has very little industrial capacity outside of its arms industry which is now very well developed.Being able to supply Russia with weapons and ammunition is a huge boost for its economy. Kim is laughing all the way to the bank And Putin will do whatever is needed to prevent Russia from being defeated and humiliated in its war in Ukraine. We often overlook the advantages an authoritarian government has over a democratic one.

[@crescentcrab]

​@@nc2933 They're gonna go AWOL for sure

[@jamalramadan5290]

😮

[@andrewlewis9231]

Am sure North Korean soldiers will fight bravely - like their Russian fellows, they'll have soldiers behind them with orders not to allow them to retreat.

[@ogamaniuk]

It doesn't matter. They still will fight in big numbers shooting all possible types of guns.

[@mitchyoung93]

@andrewlewis9231 Every day another video comes out of a Ukrainian man fighting the Kievan press gangs. The last one I saw was pretty funny. The would be shanghai-ers tried to get a dude coming out of a concert, but a group of 6-8 women formed a circle around him. The TCK-niki then tried to break the circle of women, which they eventually managed, but the dude had been left an escape route and availed himself of it. Comedy gold.

[@jamalramadan5290]

Chill 😂

[@youknow6968]

My concern isn't Ukraine, Russia is fully capable of dealing with that situation on it's own. This will be the first time since the Korean war that North Korean military gets actual battlefield experience, plus active experience with another major power. That's invaluable. Korean conflict is about to solidify.

[@EdMcF1]

In the Winter War, a Soviet attack on a Finnish army camp collapsed as the Finns were cooking a sausage stew when attacked. The Finns disarray turned to Soviet disarray as the starving Soviets fell on the cauldrons of hot soup. This gave the Finns time to re-group and counter-attack successfully, giving the term 'The Sausage War'. Perhaps The Ukraine might see if it could deploy a similar tactic if North Korean troops are attacking?

[@Licensed_To_Chill]

Seems to be a historic thing. If I remember, I think that's what kept the Egyptians from losing the Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BC. Much of their army had been overrun by the Hittites, but the Hittite troops ended up becoming preoccupied with plundering the remains of the Egyptian camp; as a result, Egypt regrouped and counterattacked. It wasn't a victory, but it staved off total defeat and led to a draw and the world's first recorded peace treaty.

[@mitchyoung93]

@EdMcF1 And yet the Finns still had to give up Karelia (rightly, as Karelians aren't Finns).

[@bolsa3136]

The battle of Kadesh is told by the egyptians. It is believed they lost the battle, the rest is copping

[@RK-cj4oc]

​@@mitchyoung93Yes, but they kept their independence. And the soviets embarressed themselves once again. And Karelians are not russians either hypocrite.

[@puzzled012]

Finns lost that war, and in the next one they switched sides...

[@VladTevez]

Will they send Pulgasari as well?

[@ibnurismail5964]

Five Power Defense Agreement{FPDA} among the most unknown defense pact in the world.

[@Brisamars-q1c]

So why are you crying about it? Aren’t there NATO troops in Ukraine??? Or those so called mercenaries from uk? He says “here I take an informed look…” 😂 More like a biased look.

[@davidboskett5581]

I dont think we should be surprised if North Korea sends troops to Ukraine. And it is a very smart move for both countries .North Korea has much to benefit from the war and probably hopes it will continue for a few more years yet. And if Putin can fight the war with foreign troops his position at home is not endangered. And it should be noted that North Korea although is supplying weapons and manpower it has not declared war on Ukraine - it is just a business arrangement

[@Behemoth29]

It makes total sense that DPRK would send troops. Russia and Ukraine are the only countries that know how to fight a modern war. DPRK gets valuable experience deploying troops. Moreover, they are deploying to Kursk, not Ukraine. I fail to see how this is a massive escalation.

[@deepinthewoods8078]

Now the deployment of NATO troops inside Ukraine looks inevitable, at least of some NATO countries like poland...

[@olivka7560]

Poland would never enter war to fight for Ukraine. Have you heard of Volyhna massacre. Poles do not want Russians at tgeir border as they fought fir border regions for centuries , border region is called Wesrern Ukraine and Belarus. But fighting for Ukraine is out if the question.

[@deepinthewoods8078]

@@olivka7560 it's not exactly fighting for Ukraine, but rather to keep the Russians away from Poland's Eastern border. Also i do not expect to see Polish soldiers at the frontline, but rather in the rear areas where they can be useful for training, maintenance of equipment, engineering, etc ...

[@photon1899]

This development is the single largest symbol of how Western strategy toward Ukraine (or rather, the lack thereof) has failed. It seems like neither did anyone bother to think about if and how one wants Ukraine to win, nor about what to do with a russia that has lost a war. People like Scholz and Sullivan have pathetically - and predictably - failed, and by now absolutely worsened the security situation by managing to have troops from Asia fighting in Asia for the first time since WWII. But I have little hope of them admitting to failure or countries like Austria, Slovakia, and pseudo-righteous leftist regimes of the likes of Brazil or South Africa to finally open their eyes to the significance and implications of this. We have North Korean troops invading Europe. All major NATO members should be ashamed and offer an apology. Their hesitation led us all into this mess, and sacrificed thousands of Ukrainian lives already.

[@khersonskiyarbuzkhersonski2460]

The West should not interfere in the internal affairs of Ukraine at all, and threatens to accept Ukraine into NATO; the West has broken its promises thousands of times. NATO is not an alliance of defense, but of aggression and expansion. NATO inclusion in Asia and in German ships near Taiwan is a demonstration of direct aggression against China and Russia

[@yuchoob]

"However..."

[@jasimkhan6219]

Professor, how can I get a free copy of your book "Secession and State Creation: What Everyone Needs to Know"??

[@Khasidon]

You can most likely order it to your local library and read it.

[@blugamers8891]

Well uhhhhh..... This is a concerning title

[@charon2987]

why so many north korean want to fight for Russia. Because they can get meat

[@Egalitare]

Because it’s easier to defect far away from North Korea

[@WorldTravelerCooking]

There have been credible reports that North Korean have been sending military engineers to the war. These are likely to be useful in digging tunnels, fortifications, etc. This is not in conflict with what Zelensky said. North Korea could be sending rroops but not sending combat troops.

[@louisgiokas2206]

James, I have read that Chinese food shipments to North Korea have been largely curtailed. I have also seen indications that North Korean workers have been sent out of China. Have you seen any indication of these actions? There are indeed tensions between China and Russia, especially territorial ones. These stretch back to imperial (for both countries) times. While China finds is convenient to have North Korea as a thorn in the side of the South Korea, the US and Japan (which have recently signed an alliance pact) it is also a fraught issue for China itself. That is why I believe that China had been slow walking support for some of North Korea's weapons programs. Now that Russia has stepped in this cannot but worry the CCP. Another spanner in the works is the position of Xi in China within the CCP. I have seen indications that he may have lost control of the PLA. These are speculations right now, but the indications are there, What the new leadership might do on the military front is unclear. Will they emphasize the issues with Russia over Taiwan? No one can tell at this point. This is such a complex and volatile part of the world. Thank you for discussing it.

[@andrewsarantakes639]

Excellent topic!! But the generic term "troops" is ambiguous because what type of capability is north Korea going to provide to Russia? north Korea is a mercenary nation, and its unending quest for hard currency is one motivation it has in providing military capabilities to Russia. To be frank, from a conventional perspective north Korean Peoples Army (nKPA) simply operates on the principal of mass, so it is doubtful north Korean will deploy its military in the hundreds of thousands where mass can prove effective. Most likely north Korea will provide niche capabilities to Russia, which will increase nKPA's tactical & operational capabilities overall. And that with the financial windfall is north Korea's intent. Just as south Korea provided manpower to the American effort in Vietnam in the 1960s, which resulted in massive amounts of hard currency being placed into the Korean economy which in turn helped fuel Korean's economic take off in the 1970s & 80s. Assessing what Russia needs and what the nKPA can provide, most likely we can expect to see nK SOF and indirect fire assets (missile & rocket forces) to assist Russia. The nK SOF will provide professional direct action capabilities to Russia (as the PMCs were providing) to pull forward their offensive efforts. Missile & rocket capabilities will help Russia's deep strike capabilities in western Ukraine to degrade its logistics efforts, thus support offensive efforts in the main battle areas. Deeply examining the conflict in Ukraine reveals so many aspects of international relations which have historically always been with us. Thanks for a great podcast.

[@tlmoller]

Might be a good test-ground for North Korea. They will get battle experience and be able to test tactics.

[@Castorcato]

Can the Normandy Format ever be taken seriously ever again?

[@OrwellsHousecat]

Minsk 7

[@blackmantis3130]

@@Castorcato what is the Normandy format?

[@im2b1234]

👍

[@Twitch760]

NK is using Ukraine as a training ground to face off against western weapons and fighting styles. If they ever decide to invade SK it is exactly what they will be facing. They haven't been in heavy combat since 1953.

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

At this point I wonder are there any more sanctions that can be dropped at N. Korea and what's the point anyway considering that they have established a lifeline with Russia? 🤔

[@JamesKerLindsay]

So true. I think it’s the China angle that’s most interesting. I can see why Beijing is looking at this very warily.

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

@@JamesKerLindsay the irony of a war being fought because " the west" stepped in to what Moscow consider " home turf" while Moscow casually step in at Beijing's one 😏

[@Norg1]

The also african troops in ukriane wouldn't be surprised if a few latin and Venezuelan troops there trying to get some exp

[@JamesKerLindsay]

I can well believe that there are others. And Russia has certainly been recruiting from where it can.

[@mezamaldini]

South Korea should send troops to Ukraine to help the Ukrainians out

[@peterbattaglia1323]

You are away with the ferry’s…! North Korea Will never fight along side with Russia..! Why did Britain. stop the negotiations that had almost reached an agreement.??????

[@futuredoctor1966]

British troops are also fighting in Ukraine I have British Royal army soldier in my fb friend He get injured in front lines 3 time's And he said to me I'm going back to UKRAINE soon so north Korean they can also support their alliance That is not big Deal

[@ivandemko3360]

@@futuredoctor1966 all foreigners in Ukraine are VOLUNTEERS.

[@Atlas_21]

Dude, you are comparing a relatively small number of volunteers vs a fr**king state who sends 10,000 troops as a first batch. This is nowhere near the 'same thing' and it is a big deal.

[@Phukugoooglification]

Yeah sure you have a British royal army soldier fighting in Ukraine. Sure you do. Loose lips sink ships, right?

[@mimisor66]

Your FB friend? Are you even sure he is British?😂

[@ogamaniuk]

In the modern war with all the drones and absolute transparency of the battlefield there would be no way to hide even a little battalion of foreign soldiers. But there's an international legion, maybe your friend serves there but it's not "British troops".

[@ThienHoang-tr3dh]

North Korea has strategic interest when you join the international coaltion led by Russia intervening in Ukraine conflict. I think that we should treat react normal to this news. When the US invaded other countries from Serbia, Iraq, Afghanistan, The US did garther its allies to fight these invasion wars. Russia is no exceptional. Russia need North Korean troops to prolong this conflict. North Korea need Russia support too.

[@khersonskiyarbuzkhersonski2460]

China needs to show courage and expand its fields of interests, including through military means. He is the only one who can stop the hegemony of the United States, and the “rules-based world” of American hegemony.

[@FOLIPE]

I don't think Russia needs Korean troops

[@ThienHoang-tr3dh]

I do not think China need to make this war too hot. China just need to directly support Russia through North Korea and prolong this conflict​@@khersonskiyarbuzkhersonski2460

[@solomonmekonnen378]

I don't understand one thing about your analysis. Could you tell me how to defeat the nation with the most nuclear power?

[@JamesKerLindsay]

OK. Watch again.

[@VTh-f5x]

Just self identify as "the winner" and shout at Russia if they refuse to indulge your self-identification. 😂

[@WalterBurton]

👍👍👍

[@michaelthomas5433]

I assume N. Korea is losing stability. More than what we might think is normal.

[@thinkingaloud5379]

If Nato can support Ukraine with weapons,money and "advisors ",I see no reason why Russia cannot get outside help too.

[@robertbunch7829]

There are no NATO troops on the Frontline of the Ukraine Russia war !!!

[@ogamaniuk]

NATO is a joke without Ukraine.

[@janetmontgomery-r6j]

Please pl3 no. This world. Gets mee down enough. How do we survive. Oh I know... You gotta have hope. Act kindly. Do the good you can do, understand the strange and varied reasons organisations and politics come together for purposes. And remember... Organisation politics and PEOPLE can come together for good too. And that's the ultimate aim to achieve.... Why do some politics people have to be so devious self centred and harmful? "

[@takeda0123]

In times of need, bullies need to stick together. Once China joins the group, it would be interesting to see if Trump would feel left out as he seems so fond of that Korean bully and that Russian one too.

[@eol6632]

Not only are there N. Korean troops in Ukraine there are already deserters. The why is easy enough. N.Korea is in a favorable bargaining position. It wants money, goods & tech. Besides that its a chance to purge out undesirables for income. Just like the subpar ammunition & arms its selling. This clears out old stocks of anmo, arms & a form of population control. Thats assuming it works. So far Russia has no choice. It must accept that the ammo & arms are poor. Even if the troops they are buying can't fight well or dessert in droves they will still buy. However even that won't last. Either they will demand better return on investment or N.Korea will will cut off troop supply if desertion becomes an embarrassment. No matter the outcome the west needs to respond. At the very least it should stop restrictions on arms supply to Ukraine. Allowing western "Private security firms" to operate in Ukraine. This will free up Ukrainian troops for front line duties while foreign troops could handle logistics, building and border patrol with Beloruss

[@RipVanWhinkle]

@@eol6632 source? You made it up

[@julesthewalker]

This is utter nonsense, N. Korea will arrest and imprison the extended family of any deserter into stalin style gulags. A simple Google and KZbin search on the gulags will show you what happens there. N.Korea wont send anyone they cant have leverage on. These men would rather die in war than have their parents/siblings/spouses/children be stent to goulags.

[@JesterEric]

Ukrainian fake video.

[@Pikaling3408]

I think it is the sign of desperation by Putin.

[@tiptoe38]

No,everyone has allies.

[@ThisHandleWasTheOnly1Available]

Ukraine wishes it had reliable allies like North Korea.

[@THEGREATAFFILIATOR]

It's for korea to gain experience. Not generally to help Russia since they are on track to win....

[@Konstantin2004]

Win? In the way "depose zelensky, put in a new puppet government, get rid or Ukraine as an independent entity, put the ukrainan elite in camps"? Are you high? Russia, "the second most powerful military in the world', has to beg Lil Kim to send it troops and weapons and it currently has parts of its territory occupied by Ukraine (for months), but still it is 'winning"?

[@Anthonythumb]

But they won’t survive

[@mimisor66]

What will happen once Ukrainians start havin North Korean POW? Will they be exchanged? Can N Korea afford to have back home people that have seen other countries?

[@KTo288]

North Korea sends tens of thousands of its citizens to labour for hard currency, very few defect, due to the reprisals that would be inflicted on their families the same woulf apply to any troops sent to Ukraine.

[@robertoperez3714]

The same will happen to iran if the they sign a similar treaty with russia

[@billycatch4088]

❤❤❤

[@ogamaniuk]

It's shocking to see how impotent the NATO looking is. So many counties invested so much money for a few decades and then finally when a threat appeared, the alliance was doing nothing or even trying to negotiate. Asian forces of russia and North Korea are fighting in the middle of Europe and all those countless simply watch, failing to allocate even a few percent of their GDP to stop the attack.

[@fpsserbia6570]

what ? without US and EU support Ukraine would have fallen in a matter of week or months, don't be ridiculous

[@Todd.B]

Thx Prof. very informative as always. Here's another possible downside for NK in sending troops. North Korean's have been brainwashed to think their military is the strongest in the world, have seen a number of military defectors comment on this, they think the US would be a piece of cake in a conflict. None of these N Koreans have seen any kind of conflict and with that superior complex, they are in for a rude awakening and what happens when some of these soldiers come back, and the rest of the country finds out their military really isn't that invincible.

[@sirsurnamethefirstofhisnam7986]

Maybe Kim doesn’t plan for them to come back? Losing a few thousand troops thousands of miles away doesn’t affect the regime and if anything allows them to get rid of anyone troublesome and get concessions from Russia in return.

[@Todd.B]

@@sirsurnamethefirstofhisnam7986 that’s certainly a possibility as well

[@sointu123]

I have wondered that too. In addition even though they are pretty isolated and controlled but you would think that they get exposed "to the outside world" to some degree. If it really is a significant number of people can they get new thoughts and ideas in their heads and also realize that what they were told about the world doesn't match reality. Brainwashing can be very strong though.

[@sointu123]

If Russia were on the verge of defeat, do you think there might be a possibility that China would get involved aswell in a similar way (rather than watching Russia fall, as a last resort)?

[@Phukugoooglification]

Possibly China would take over Russia or parts of it eastern areas.

[@Hession0Drasha]

Twigs are easy to snap. I doubt we need to fear, malnourished zombie soldiers. Growing up through a famine, will severely hamper mental and physical development.

[@ptseti]

Well the EU and the US are supporting Ukraine so this is a fair deal.

[@FOLIPE]

The difference is that one is necessary for the war to continue while the other isn't, meaning there's something else behind this

[@Atlas_21]

F'ing boris, they aren't sending 10,000 troops to Ukraine are they? Which at this point, they should do.

[@blackmantis3130]

​@@Atlas_21official no. But thousands of westerners have gone to fight and are paid wages.

[@shakiMiki]

How did you work that out

[@Zzrik]

I would not be totally surprised if the North Korean troops go AWOL after a few battles or just surrender once they have done some fighting. Ukraine is more and more becoming like the modern version of the Spanish Civil war with so many nations involved and how much different military hardware is being sent there to see how well they actually work in combat.

[@jamierobertson5260]

Why does russians need north koreans? Even if they are losing more members, we hear that russia is outmanning and outgunning ukraine? There woudlnt even be frontline cohesion, they dont speka the same language. I think it makes more sense they come to observe and learn lessons from modern conventional war

[@fpsserbia6570]

they can keep them on the static lines to just keep the lines while freeing another 10 000 - 20 000 russians to maneuver, Russia does not have much more troops then Ukraine

[@Egalitare]

Is anyone tracking the dud rate of NK munitions?

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Very good question!

[@VTh-f5x]

Analysing the numbers of Ukrainian KIAs day by day basis will reveal that.

[@SAMARTBO]

Free the world from USD $

[@adamski-l5w]

The sooner Ukraine regains her territorial integrity the safer everyone will be. The very poorly named “escalation” management has only made things worse. As to why? The ever present demand for currency in command economies is probably a major reason. In the 1970s and 80s the former Eastern European governments farmed out their educated professionals to petro rich ideological “allies” for purposes of desperately needed USD. That’s how we ultimately ended up in the West. My parents were both engineers. So the analogy today is far more tragic. Kim’s victims are being forced into being cannon fodder.

[@FOLIPE]

Living in a dream world doesn't make anyone safer

[@amunra5330]

There are at least 15 thousand western troops fighting for Ukraine right now.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Evidence?

[@Dr_MKUltra]

Come on! Western “volunteers” have been found dead 😵

[@thor9563]

Are you SURE??? I thought it was 1.5 MILLION!!!

[@FlamingBasketballClub]

Proxy war in full effect be like 💀

[@bilic8094]

Exactly everyone else is involved one way or another how would this be any different.

[@melon.]

@@bilic8094 How is deploying thousands of troops not different than aide? Weird take.

[@khersonskiyarbuzkhersonski2460]

@@melon. There are tens of thousands of mercenaries in Ukraine from NATO countries and Australia, including at least 600-1000 from Colombia, who it is not clear how they get to Ukraine. And this is not aggression against Russia. Then why are mercenaries from North Korea, who will be legally registered as volunteers of the Russian army, making a war between the North Korea against Ukraine here. There is no legal logic here.

[@bilic8094]

@@melon. I'm pretty sure they'll be wearing Russian patches if they actually go to Ukraine how is that any different then the Polish Colombian and Georgian troops that fight in Ukraine.

[@FlamingBasketballClub]

​@@khersonskiyarbuzkhersonski2460 Interesting take you got there 🏴‍☠️

[@joshuawells835]

I was curious if North Korean troops are deployed to Ukraine, what would China's reaction be. How does Beijing feel about their prized puppet moving closer to Moscow? Could the deployment also strengthen the calls for a Pacific equivalent of NATO?

[@FOLIPE]

Surely they would already know, and North Korea isn't a Chinese puppet

[@jacqdanieles]

Imo, China green-lit this behind the scenes. They control NK. China can't be seen directly supporting Russia for fear of backlash from the West.

[@CJ-fs1zr]

I don’t think South Korea will ever join pacific Nato if it’s main aim is against China. South Korea has good relations with China