David Kirichenko
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has not only accelerated the erosion of the international order but also deepened its partnership with China. Beijing has made clear it does not want the war to end and Russia to lose, viewing Ukraine as the battlefield that weakens the West while advancing its own vision of an autocracy-led world, starting with Taiwan.
Cuban and North Korean soldiers are now fighting en masse against Ukraine. North Korea and Venezuela are receiving drones and other weapons through networks supplied by Russia and Iran. What may appear to be a regional war is part of a broader strategic alignment—one that is far more interconnected than some policymakers are comfortable admitting.
Venezuela, once a marginal player, has become Latin America’s most advanced drone producer, fielding Iranian-designed strike drones through covert cooperation with Tehran. Rybar, a major pro-Kremlin Telegram channel, has even suggested sending Russian Geran drones to Venezuela, claiming they could target U.S. bases in the Caribbean and hit the U.S. mainland.
In Pyongyang, Kim Jong-un recently presided over ceremonies for North Korean families whose sons were killed fighting in Ukraine. South Korea estimates that 15,000 North Korean troops have been deployed, with hundreds already dead and thousands wounded. Serhii Kuzan, chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, told me in an interview that ‘without foreign recruitment, Moscow would likely be unable to sustain offensive operations, as seen in Kursk, where North Korean troops supported Russian forces.’
Though North Korean troops suffered heavy early losses due to poor preparation and coordination, Ukraine’s spy chief, Kyrylo Budanov, warned that they are adapting quickly—learning to use drones, move in small groups and defend against modern systems. This battlefield experience, unprecedented for Pyongyang, is now being passed back to its 1.3 million-strong army.
‘[U.S. President Donald] Trump understands how dangerous regimes like North Korea and Iran are, but he must also recognise that Russia is actively supporting them,’ said Oleksandra Ustinova, a Ukrainian member of parliament.
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