Senior Policy Director John Erath wrote an op-ed in The Diplomat about North Korean troops in Ukraine.
In October 2024, the news broke that North Korea was sending troops to Russia to participate in Moscow’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Although most international responses to this development involved condemnation of this latest escalation, there was also speculation as to what North Korean forces would do and the nature of the arrangement under which they were sent.
As the answers to these questions become clearer, it is time to examine not only the effects and effectiveness of North Korean troops in combat, but the wider implications for international security and conflict management. Simply put, by turning to foreign forces, Russia shows its reliance on military means to achieve its national objectives and desperation to reduce the costs to the Russian people. Should Russia emerge from the war able to claim success, it would set several unwelcome precedents. Read more
