The June 19 defense pact signed between Russia and North Korea included a promise to provide military assistance to one another – within days Pyongyang said it was sending troops to Ukraine.
Biden broke all ties with North Korea after Trump. Reverting to the old demand to denuclearize before for any negotiations and imposing more sanctions.
As we have learned from Ukraine. no sane country should ever give up their nukes because they become a prime target for invasion. If Ukraine still had nukes Russia would never have invaded.
Now I'm not a an NK fan but I'm not sure why people think pushing NK away would make them more friendly. Unlike the past where American sanctions spelled doom and America could bend any country to their will, China and Russia are now picking up the countries America pushes away.
NK & SK were making historical progress towards reunification until Kim and Trump met. Look at the pics from the summit and the timeline of inter Korean relations and it’s clear as day. He’s the reason relations went downhill.
We just waiting for the other shoe to drop... Is US Marines landing in Crimea or other wild scenario where everyone goes: " well damn and that's how it turned into ww3"
They didn't start calling WWII what it is until 1944, but I think we can all agree it didn't start in 1944.
Just like later historians placed the start of WWII on multiple different events depending on which country you're in, the start of World War III will be long before we start calling it that.
I'm in the camp that the start of WW3 will be the Russian invasion of Ukraine if things continue to escalate the way they're going, because that's when you really started seeing lines being drawn between the axis and allies.
Russia, China, Iran, and NK are the most recognizable names that have aligned themselves with the axis so far.
The lines are already drawn and future events will dictate whether or not we're currently living in WW3 today.
And some would argue that WW1 was WW2 and WW2 WAS WW3. The 7 years war/French and Indian (not French vs Indian) war are commonly referred to as the real first world war. And then the Nepoleonic wars are similarly thought of by some to have been a world war of sorts
To me, it does not seem wise to just let these two continue along this path, but I am certain there are numerous internet experts out there who can explain to me why we should not intervene.
Pretty asymmetric that isn't it. On one side you have a nation that is rapidly running out of, well basically everything, and on the other side you've got an alliance of nation states which contain among many other things the largest most powerful military on the planet.
Finally the nation that is running out of resources is now getting military support from quite possibly the worst place they could get it from.
It's going to be one of those ridiculous situations that only happens in Civilization, where you're bombing cavemen with nukes because your adversary has failed to advance through the tech tree fast enough.
Unfortunately China is not running out of everything and they are looking like they might back Russia here. Iran is also backing Russia and not to be underestimated.
I honestly think he might legitimately believe that a couple platoons of NK soldiers will clear this whole mess right up and then the world will have to take them seriously.
The North Korean leadership is not exactly well known for their excellent grasp of reality.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the US announced it would lift the ban on American contractors going to Ukraine at the same time as this. Russia reaps what it sows. Ukraine gets highly payed and skilled contractors, in return, Russia gets malnourished and untrained Korean conscripts.
The best tactic Ukraine could have at this point would just be to encourage the North Koreans to defect. Can't imagine it'll be particularly difficult, "hey switch sides and we won't kill you, and here's a free house with electricity, water and indoor plumbing".
It would be like trying to convince people to leave the 15th century.
I wonder if many will even fight? If I were from North Korea, I'd consider surrender to be a godsend. They would do terrible things to the family members, though... I guess that's the true cruelty of regimes like this. They punish the people you love.
According to Russian propaganda Ukraine has been doing just that the entire time, but if it actually happened that would be yet another red line to cross.
Ukrain is a country of 40 million people, with millions already internally displaced from the war. A few thousand extra refugees wouldnt even be noticed.
NKers are simultaneously brainwashed morons who follow their leader with fanatical delusion and utterly naive children who can be lured to defection by a few pieces of candy and a charming smile.
The hexbears are too stupid to realize that all Koreans yearn for the unlimited freedom of their Southern neighbors and yet too wicked to believe the unvarnished truths of such media luminaries as Yeomni Park. They should all be sent to North Korea to eat grass and toil in the mines and get beaten to a pulp by Kim's totalitarian police, then repatriated so that they can apologize for their ignorant beliefs.
Those children are completely delusional. I saw a thread about why the entire country is unlit at night which was a parody of itself. I wonder what their demographics are, if not 100% bots.
Very few, as North Korea hand picks everyone who gets to leave by essentially keeping their entire family hostage, and any "traitor family" will find them sentenced to life in prison/labour camp - including any children born in those camps.
We're getting a lot closer to a bigger global conflict as NK troops and American Military contractors begin to enter the fray. Anyone else feel like were inching closer to World War than we've been since the last one ended?
This isn't going to do anything. First of all, North Korea is probably not going to send battle ready soldiers to a foreign country. There's really no reason for it. They might send ditch diggers for trenches.
Second of all, this isn't going to move the needle on the battlefield. Russia already has more troops than Ukraine. They need more and better arms and ammunition, plus better support, training, airplanes, missiles, drones, commanders, etc. Basically Russia needs a completely different military.
I don't think what the soldiers end up doing makes it less international of a conflict. The point was there's going to be sizesble amounts of foreign boots on the groun on both sides. That necessarily increases the international scope of the conflict beyond funding a proxy war.
Does north korea have actually good military power? I've seen their parades here and there, but does anyone know if they have updated equipment, trained military personnel, good intelligence, etc?
They have massive amount of soldiers and are good and making artillery and missiles. It is a big black box however since they haven't been engaged in a conflict recently so all their troops lack experience.
Their economy is practically built for conflict so it shouldn't be taken lightly.
Military is the only thing they have. It might not be the most modern, but they have more artilery shells than any other country. Other stockpiles are huge AF as well. Almost 4% of their population are in active military service and 2% more are reservists. In terms of head count, they have almost as many active personel as Russia while having a fraction of population. Plenty of disposable meat!
It's all smoke and mirrors, the majority of their stockpiles would be bordering on defunct. Modern equipment they have is far and few between, their training is subpar.
Plenty of disposable meat is certainly correct though!
Agreed that they have a pretty big military in terms of raw numbers. I'm not going to discuss quality because the biggest question mark here is force projection.
How are they planning on sending over any significant manpower and supplies across 2800km?
They don't even have a navy capable of circumnavigating the korean peninsula, much less make the trip to Ukraine or the wrong side of Russia.
They have 2 transport aircraft, the bigger of the 2 has a max passenger capacity of 44 pax. Neither of those have the range to get near Ukraine when flying fully fueled, nevermind if it were fully loaded.
Sometime back kim was crying so that women make more babies, now he is sending men to his friend. And we know the mortality rate of North Korea. I have never seen a country run out of people, I think I will see it soon
So did I hear that the US is considering letting “contractors” take Ukrainian contracts?
The US has been sending "advisers" into Ukraine since the war began. And we've had intelligence officers in this country for decades.
Blackrock would ruin these morons!
Mercenaries and auxiliaries are useless and dangerous; and if one holds his state based on these arms, he will stand neither firm nor safe; for they are disunited, ambitious, and without discipline, unfaithful, valiant before friends, cowardly before enemies; they have neither the fear of God nor fidelity to men, and destruction is deferred only so long as the attack is; for in peace one is robbed by them, and in war by the enemy. The fact is, they have no other attraction or reason for keeping the field than a trifle of stipend, which is not sufficient to make them willing to die for you.
So does that mean that NATO can also start deploying troops there? I mean, so far we've kept out to not escalate this, but if actual foreign troops will set foot on that front line, you can only wait so long for the other side to do the same...
No, because Ukraine is not a NATO member because they cannot join while already at war. If the USA got involved directly then the international community in the UN and even NATO itself would have mixed responses, perhaps even leading to NATO withdrawals and economic sanctions.
However, the USA have started allowing private mercenary companies to participate directly in the conflict, and they've had indirect support specialists from the US Military in the region for a long time.
You're right, but I meant it more sarcastically. Russia started the conflict and is escalating it at every turn that it can, hoping the west will back down and too ma y times we have. I'm pretty sure that the backing down is just about over by now, though
In response to that Pyongyang announced early this week that it will be sending troops in the form of a military engineering unit to support Russian forces on the ground in the Donetsk region. The troops are expected to arrive on the battlefield as soon as next month.
One engineering unit isn't much, but perhaps there is more to come. It didn't say anything in the article about future commitments.
Ilya Ponomarev, a former Russian member of parliament told the UK’s Daily Express that North Korea has become an important bridge between the Kremlin and China. Beijing can indirectly transfer military equipment to Moscow through Pyongyang without falling foul of Western sanctions.
As he explained: “North Korea is one of key Russian partners and the meaning of the rationale behind them becoming such a partner is because they are acting as a bridge between China and Russia.
“Essentially all the military equipment that is delivered from North Korea was developed for the North Koreans by the Chinese.
Perhaps this is less about North Korea then it appears on the surface. I wonder what Russia is giving China for this help?
Ain't this a good thing the more fudder sent to the front lines the high chance NK will have less capable soldiers in their country. Unless people being sent to front lines were potential issues in NK. I bet US intelligence would be interested on seeing how NK soldiers operates in actual combat.
It's almost like Ukraine is better than NK, from a moral and logical perspective. Ukraine isn't starving their own people, nor are they "disappearing" the local Muslim population á-la China. They're simply defending themselves.
I don’t think anyone is saying they shouldn’t be allowed to do it; just that they think it’s going to go poorly
Also I would add that it’s a moderately dire sign as far as the state of Russia’s manpower levels. Every country at war desperately wants more soldiers at all times but some desperates are more desperate than other desperates.
Financial support and sending foreign soldiers directly to the frontline are two very different kinds of involvement. Imagine the Russian freakout if NATO actually sent soldiers to fight in Ukraine. Maybe the North Koreans will actually speed that process up.
If China directly supports Russia NATO will throw sanctions on them and that will hurt China. China is supporting Russia, but they are walking a find line as China cannot afford to make NATO mad. (NATO also will hurt, which is why NATO is looking the other way, but how long will NATO put up with China is an open question)
Of course you don't see the problem. You can't seem to see the problem with a lot of issues. Your average post score is -20. Maybe you should do some self reflection, or maybe you're just a naive 20-something and will grow out of it