North Korea Is Still In Russia Trying To Kill Ukrainians

North Korea, a Chinese client state, has sent troops fighting in Russia to fight in the Kursk region. The fact that this is happening as American aid is still being sent to Ukraine should be a bigger deal. It seems to have been lost in the strong emotional reaction Americans are having to the recent election. The right is drunk on their win and arguing among themselves about the cabinet, and the left is having a collective meltdown— it is a serious concern at this point.

But the conflict in Ukraine is likely to get worse before it gets better.

It is a bad look for the White House to be caught unaware or not communicate what they may have known with Congress. This is a significant change on the ground in a fight that Congress is bankrolling. The official count of North Korean troops fighting with Russian forces is 10,000 according to the Department of Defense. The number will likely rise sans a conflict on the Korean Peninsula.

This is not a trend the U.S. wants to see duplicated. If North Koreans can be moved to Russia they can be moved to Syria or Africa. Two places where Russia sells its brand of security. Brutal, violent and cruel.

This development will most certainly complicate the intense debate around involving America so deeply in Ukraine’s struggle to push Russia out of their country and maintain its sovereignty. That is, when the debating starts again.

Ukrainian supporters, largely left of center in American politics, want the US to double down on support. Meanwhile, those of a more conservative mindset want to be out of the conflict entirely.

Those on the right see Ukraine as taking valuable resources from the United States who is behind China on military manufacturing. They warn that the United States should be withholding its resources in the event of an all out conflict with China. Which many worry could be sparked over a Chinese invasion of Taiwan though some think the breaking point will more likely to be in the Philippines.

Those on the left warn that abandoning Ukraine to face Russia alone or at the very least dependent on European support would lead to their defeat. This would leave them open to Russian reprisals and punishment. The other danger in disengaging from Ukraine is it frees Moscow up to pivot back to Syria and reinforce Iran by providing air support. Any reinforcement of Iran at this point will lead to a steep escalation from the Israelis.

Russia’s negotiating tactics have been the same since the Soviet era. First, they’ll make an outrageous demand they know they will never get. Next, they will offer nothing in return. After that, they won’t give an inch, until finally, the other side gives in and concedes 1/3 or even 1/2 of what Russia was originally asking for at the start.

That is a win as they see it especially in their own back yard. They started with nothing and managed to get half out of a need to just get the conflict to end. This was their template in Syria and you can see how that worked out.

America has some tough questions facing it as she transitions massively to the right in all 3 branches. There needs to be a clear strategy to confront what is shaping up to be conflicts on three fronts. The quicker officials can tie all three areas of tension together in a convincing way to the American public the better. China is most certainly the greatest long term threat America faces but its credibility is at risk in abandoning Ukraine and allowing Iran to mount a retaliation against Israel with Russia’s help.

It would be another failure for people who believed in an American partnership like in Afghanistan, something that Russia is keenly aware of as they demonstrated by invading more of Ukraine in February of 2022. It was 5 days before the withdrawal of Afghanistan officially began.

There needs to be a focus in this transition period on how America will confront all 3 threats. The war in Ukraine could end in the short-term as the next administration is very focused on resolving the conflict. However, if Europe and other NATO allies reinforce the status quo the war could linger in perpetuity. North Korea is clearly willing to help extend the conflict so that Russia can negotiate from what appears to be a position of power.

Iran will be a threat for a good while. even if the regime is toppled internally the instability would cause serious upheaval in Iran’s civilian sphere. It would be a protracted civil war for who fills the vacuum left by the theocrats in Tehran.

China is a long term threat that is moving from an economic rivalry to military foe who wants to replace the western hegemony with their own band of global stabilization. America has to get realistic about China’s role in aiding and even orchestrating conflicts around the globe that are impacting the U.S..

Isolationism is not a solution it just makes the impact worse once it finally hits at home. Now is the time to be serious and sober.