Will North Korean troops in Russia ignite a world war?
It has recently been revealed that North Korea has sent at least 3000 troops to Russia for military training. American officials say it is too early to know their purpose. Really? That should be obvious. This is a monumental escalation in world tension and warfare.
Up to this point, Russia has had to fight in Ukraine on its own – with only passive support from allies. Yes, they are getting weapons from Iran and North Korea – and technical assistance from China — but no boots on the ground. Even the Putin puppet government of Belarus has rejected sending troops into Ukraine. Conversely, no Ukrainian ally has sent in troops, including the United States. Yes, billions of dollars in weapons, munitions and humanitarian aid, but no western boots on the ground.
Let us assume that the North Korean troops are NOT there on vacation or attending a boy scout jamboree – and that they ARE there to be trained for on-the-ground combat in Ukraine.
Speculating on that possibility, White House National Security Advisor John Kirby spun the report as some sort of perverse good news – saying that it shows the Russian military has been weakened by the loss of more than 500,000 killed and wounded soldiers. But … the bad news is that Putin appears to have a means of compensating for those losses. Kim Jong-un sending his troops to fight for Russia is not – by any measure – good news for Ukraine.
There are several questions to be answered.
Why is North Korea sending troops? They must be getting something in return for such a bold and provocative move on the international stage. The best guess among the intelligence and military establishment in Washington is that Kim is getting valuable technical information and products to enhance and expand his nuclear capabilities.
Could President Trump have prevented North Korea from sending troops to Russia in view of his relationship with Kim? There can be little doubt that Kim’s more aggressive activities in recent years are a result of his perception of a weaker America. Would Trump’s election cool Kim’s activities? (Maybe Dennis Rodman can help. He and Kim are buds. But I digress.)
The key question is what are the United States, NATO, the European Union and Asian allies going to do about it? We can bet that Putin and Kim are betting that we will do nothing – at least nothing that will have an impact.
The biggest concern is that by intermingling military forces, the two-combatant local wars are starting to look like a multi-alliance global conflict. It looks like the same dynamic that kicked off World War II.
In case you forgot … Germany was aided by alliances with Italy and other European nations. With the West fighting in Europe, Japan’s ambitions led to an invasion of China.
European nations fought because they were being invaded, like Ukraine is today. The United States was reluctant to get involved even as Hitler took over most of Europe and was on the verge of invading Great Britain. In his 1940 campaign, President Roosevelt promised the mothers of America that their sons would not die on foreign soil. That was until Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941 – three years after Hitler started the war by invading the Sudetenland and Poland. Immediately, Germany declared war on the United States.
In the Middle East, Iran has already expanded the war against Israel through alliances with Hamas in the Palestinian territories … Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon … Houthis in Yemen … and other terrorist allies, such as Syria.
While the Biden administration expresses concern about the escalation of a regional war in the Middle East, a multi nation regional war is already under way – and has been since October 7, 2023, if not before.
Unless the United States and our allies want to avoid being forced into a full-scale global war, we need to act quickly — with strength, determination, credible threats and potentially some surgical military actions. If we do not, we may find that we will face a more daunting and dangerous situation in the future – just as we did in World War II. We pulled victory out of the fire in that one. We may not have the resolve or ability to do that again if Russia, North Korea, China, Iran and other nations form a new evil Axis of aggressor warring nations.
What can world democracies do?
- Give Ukraine every bit of weaponry and munitions they need … total intel support … American operated drones attacking Russian military sites inside Ukraine … provide the jet fighters … declare Ukraine a no fly zone and use NATO planes and weapons to enforce it. Defeating Putin will chill the ambitions for other world aggressors.
- More sanctions on Russia – with serious enforcement, which has been lacking for past sanctions. Essentially make Russian oil a form of contraband. Possible disruption of the Nord Stream Pipeline that provides Putin with billions of rubles for his dirty war.
- Maximum pressure – even sanctions – on China to get them to order a North Korean withdrawal from Russia. Kind of a Cuban missile crisis moment. China is still dependent on commercial ties to virtually all of the world’s democracies.
- Re-open the Trump-like relationship with North Korea. It did result in a pause in intercontinental missile tests… the possibility of de-nuclearization talks … and had North Korea return the remains of missing in in action soldiers. That is a request every President has made since 1952.
- Provide Israel with all the support it needs to quickly destroy the Iran-sponsored terrorist network in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and elsewhere. This means putting more Navy forces in the area – and using them in defensive support of Israel.
- Push for regime change in Iran by isolating the nation from the rest of the Middle East … imposing crippling Trump-like sanctions on Iran and nations doing business with them … interdicting military supplies being shipped to Russia … promote internal dissension and revolution.
How all these actions would evolve strategically would be a matter of coordinated planning by the world democracies. They may not all be feasible or necessary. The objective is to stop and reverse the current evolution toward a major global conflict.
The shipping of North Korean troops may seem like a small event, but it is a game changer. It shows that the bonding between China, Russia, Iran and North Korea has become a unified and aggressive alliance. Putin and Xi Jinping had pledged an unbroken bond of friendship. Putin recently traveled to Pyongyang to cement ties with Kim (and we have seen one result of that rapprochement). North Korea has always been the stepchild of China. And all of them have ties to Iran. What is different today is that they are all operating off the same strategic plan of global expansion and domination.
We have a chance to avoid World War III, but it will take a tough form of diplomacy … and both symbolic and real actions to prove serious intent. We can avoid going to war by dissuading those who see benefit in starting wars. The movement of North Korean troops is just another aggressive move on the world chess board. As with World War I, World War II and the Cold War, America and the world democracies cannot afford to lose this one.
So, there ‘tis.
Joe does Horist. Again.
Horist says he’s never Joe. But here tis it. Again.
Joe is not Joe, it’s his fake name. And now Joe is Larry. Again.
Larry whines that Stranger Danger is Frank. SD has said he’s never frank, often obtuse. Again. It really bugs him. Gets under his skin. But he doesn’t read, no one does. Again.
Weird.
But I digress. 😁
Kettle calling the pot black – it’s the same as Stranger danger pretending to be Stranger danger when he is really Frank. Wow, the extent some dictators go to have at least something to say.
Opinion: u can easily disagree, but pretty hard to same I am factually wrong. It’s opinion.
This is bad. Who cares why they are there, it’s bad. I agree mostly with the author’s recommendations, and would suggest on sanctions, that what we can mete out to Russian and NK as sanctions is probably minimal. The world needs to cut everyone who is doing business with these countries. That includes China. Could be impossible but we need to ramp it up and try. This is war, the friend of my enemy is my enemy. If you want to do business with Russia, you can stop doing business with us.
Second, the NATO no fly zone: it’s time. Sure, we can give them more planes, etc., but the no fly zone essentially makes Ukraine part of NATO with all that entails. Not exactly NATO but pretty close. I think this is the strongest action we can take beyond boots on the ground.
I think Israel is a separate, and very different, issue and should be handled as such. Same with Iran. Given Israel has struck back at Iran, only going for military targets, this dilly-do will continue as it has. As far as cutting Iran off, especially the Russian connection, good idea, but good luck. Israel made the last half-hearted feckless move, now we wait for Iran. I do not expect much change given how it’s going so far. Frankly, I say put the pressure on one front – Ukraine and let Israel handle the Middle East right now, supporting from the backfield. They are doing just fine by themselves and not sure they are not overstepping, but focus on Ukraine and let’s get this done. We are moving to winter, good time to establish the NO FLY since this thing will ramp up again come Spring.
I agree Stranger Danger Frank. But I am not sure how much Russia is flying over Ukraine. Most of their flights are missiles. They have kept their airforce well back. I wish the USA / Biden would permit strikes anywhere in Russia using our equipment. Right now the Russian people are either in favor or ambivalent to the war. Maybe once they start dying in Moscow and St. Petersburg they will feel differently. Maybe once body bags are returned to Moscow and there are massive numbers of funerals they will think differently.
Joe, I doubt that DPRK will send many troops. China is already telling them not to do send troops. China has a big concern because if Un starts mobilizing his people for Russia, you will see many defect to China – which China does not want.
As far as your wondering if Trump could have stopped this. That is useless blue skying. I am going to say no, he could not have stopped it.
Tom, prove it. Prove trump could not have stopped it. You always want everyone else’s proof. Now we are asking YOU to prove it.
Better yet, you prove he could have since you appear to think so. He has had plenty of time in his love affairs with Putin and Un.
Trump would have stopped all this because Trump would have not let it ever escalate to the point it has, there fore this would not be an issue.
Only the Old lame individual in the White House sitting on a beach could have let this happen.
Not to mention the morons actually running things.
Funny thing is, Mistakes to this Magnitude are NOT ACCIDENTS.
This is all working toward the ONE WORLD ORDER!
In the end it WILL be N Korea & Russia against a Unified China and USA and most EU Country’s.
This is the Obama Goal along with Gates, Soros, and the Dem Party!
If Trump wins and is out of office in 4 years and a Dem wins in 28, it will be back to Dem business as usual.
This does not take into account the Virus that will coming our way in two years.
Complements of the Democrat’s!
Remember! I told you so!
Pardon the irony but everyone of these pro WW3 leaders from Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, need to all be rounded up and executed to save planet Earth from destruction and pure Evil.
Richard, you forgot a few Dems from the United States.
They are all about the Military complex.
I am in favor of a strong military, but the few industries are all
about profits & return favors for votes!
Darren, did you really say you want to round up some dems for execution?
fascist.
I am talking about world leaders, PRESIDENTS, who make the final decision to bomb and destroy other nations that are zero threat to anyone.
Darren, what do you say to Larry Horist? He has advocated for a long time now that we should bomb Iran because the Houthi/Hezbollah attacks on shipping and US assets. Larry is very in favor of the Military Industrial Complex. It provides jobs and enriches his 401K.
Darren, why do you advocate execution of Dems? Do you honestly think your suggestion of killing fellow Americans is patriotic?
Darren, can you see how Trump and the GOP/MAGA types have totally warped your thinking?
Tom … You write, “Larry is very in favor of the Military Industrial Complex. It provides jobs and enriches his 401K. ” Totally untrue. You do not know my financial information so you just make stuff up. Is it a result off an aging mind or just that you are a habitual liar? Maybe a bit of both. It must have something to do with that imaginary Larry Horist that resides in your mind. LOL
Commenters reacting in an active description of how they perceive your, Larry’s, mind set on the particular topic flavor of the day’s opinion are informed by Larry, writing that the commenter’s perception is no part true. Yet, Larry is ever ready with his now predictable knee jerk response passing judgement on the commenter’s personal intelligence, type of character, and lack of correct knowledge understanding regarding the present topic and any of Larry’s opinion topics. Those of us who are fairly regular PBP reader consumers through the.years including the 2020 election and January 6th, 2021 debacle on Capital Hill have gathered sufficient information about Larry and his opinion especially. This all is useful as evidence sufficient and ample to construct Larry’s political profile.
The political personality Larry has labored hard and long in its formation is on display on PBP. Whether Larry has been holding back any more complex thought processes when composing his commentaries is unlikely. He is not one who would hide his proverbial light under a bushel basket.
All that being said, Larry know this, the facts provided by you in your opinion piece articles through the past several years have yielded enough data points to accurately construct your profile in its correct context. So, while I am well aware of you extreme sensitivity about any comments not mirroring your perspective and especially those who give their perspective on what your opinion is on wars, hawk or dove. Then what drives your perspective is the question. Your PBP readers who have become seasoned in your writing style’s politics and your personal animosity directed at Biden, Harris, all things assumed Democrat Party related, and the greatest of these is your so called left.
A fact all on the political right can’t comprehend is, that which you distrust, fear, and hold prejudice against happen to be what those on the right have no conception of even existing, nor led their mind appear capable of objective processing ideas to discern fact from fiction. Is truth a fact that has become a bridge too far for you, Larry, and your right wing comrades in arms.
Truth is at dead center importance for this election more than those held in the last 60 years. This, by some historians’ accounts, has the potential for negative consequences impact on The US Constitution directly endangering our democracy’s assuring law and order across America.
A vote for either major candidate is your vote in agreement with whatever the winning candidate directs our government and nation into. For the good of all, that means ALL, or for all the deterioration of our country’s status in the world order.
Assuming you Larry will or already have voted R on your ballot. Are you all in with Trump resuming the presidency of the USA? If yes, as I assume you must be. Some questions surely must haunt you about Trump. Objectively consider Trump for those primary character quality’s expected by every American which our President must embody. He/ she carries within their personal character’s behavior and manner of conduct while speaking the responsibility in being this nation’s foremost representative to the entire World. If Trump travels the behavior continuum he is presently on, then should the presidency be awarded him what in your estimation will happen economically, democratic qualities in governance, foreign diplomacy, militarily, and not the least important is law and order kept.
Larry, your PBP commentaries from Trump’s term and through Biden’s to the present election season have not approached Trump’s candidacy and campaign with the same edge and constancy you directed at Biden and now you direct at Harris. Everyday another Trump behavior incident makes breaking news coverage. When the sum of his bad behavior in and out of his rallies is totaled in a single week would fatally sink any of the preceding campaigns back in our history to and including George Washington. Larry, your being the.responsible moral ethical character of your arguably high standing. What are you not understanding while Trump works irresponsibly at unraveling 250 years spent establishing and building on past precedence. And, you with every other R keep up homage to one man a strongman autocrat wannabe. What’re you thinking. man. Are the lies Trump equates will policy statements his selling points?
Harris could win both popular and EC counts. Wouldn’t her presidency put you in deep cotton growth? The next 4 years would be like the last 4. Every press release about Harris’ presidency would offer another fabricated detailed no brainer commentary. It be a hoot for the PBP team. Your opinions would be fodder behind a new political cartoon strip. As PBP’s unsung hero editor why not introduce some needed levity into your posts? If Trump wins, the sky is the limit with limitless opportunities dark comedy like yours
AC …I had a bit of free time, so I read your entire post. Wow! What a looooong and occasionally incoherent rant about … moi.
And you are commenting on a week old commentary. People do occasionally read old posts, but not reader responses. It is only a small percentage of readers who read the reader comments even when the commentary is new. That is why I do not waste more time responding to anything specific you may say on the subject of the commentaries … or me. I found nothing in this one about the commentary. Do you read the commentaries, or just have an obsessive need to bloviate about me? l have already wasted more time responding to you … so adios. Have a good day.
I do read your commentaries, thank you.
AC … If you say so. I then can only assume it is a reading comprehension problem.
IF the author disagrees with the commentator, you have a reading comprehension problem.
IF the commentator calls for the execution of Democrats, the author gives him a pass.
Oye, sigh.