What are the Implications of the Growing Alliance Between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea?

SUBSCRIBER+REPORTING — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made a rare trip out of the hermit country last month, to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and pledge his full support. The topic of discussion? Increased military collaboration between the two outlier nations and what Pyongyang can do to bolster Moscow’s depleted weapons arsenal, as its war in Ukraine grinds on.

The highly anticipated expedition marked Kim’s first summit since North Korea shuttered its borders at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, and marked the second time the two chieftains have met face-to-face.

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