Kim Jong-un to Putin’s Rescue? Russia’s Military Shame Laid Bare for the World to See

 

Once a global powerhouse, Russia now kneels before the pariah of the world, begging Kim Jong-un for soldiers—an unmistakable signal that Putin's military strength is nothing more than a hollow bluff.

Kim Jong-un is now, quite literally, marching to the beat of a desperate man's drum. North Korea's commitment to send thousands of troops to support Vladimir Putin’s beleaguered efforts in Ukraine starkly illustrates just how much Russia's status has withered. A former Cold War superpower, now so cornered that it must turn to one of the world's most isolated and impoverished regimes for military support, is a dramatic shift for a country that once prided itself on its formidable might.

The dispatch of North Korean troops to Russia is not without precedent, but it has sent shockwaves across international arenas. Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un have reportedly signed agreements that promise not only manpower but also a sharing of advanced military technologies. In exchange for soldiers, North Korea is expected to receive Russian help in strengthening its nuclear capabilities, including technologies related to low-yield nuclear weapons and missile systems, pushing global anxieties to a fever pitch. The quid pro quo between Moscow and Pyongyang seems all the more alarming given its potential to jeopardize regional stability in East Asia and exacerbate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Historically, North Korea has played roles in foreign conflicts that suited its interests. During the Vietnam War, North Korean pilots covertly fought alongside the North Vietnamese forces, and in the Yom Kippur War of 1973, North Korea dispatched military personnel to assist Egypt. However, the scale of the current troop commitment to Russia seems different. Instead of simply lending support covertly, this deployment appears to be part of a broader and openly acknowledged alliance between two increasingly isolated nations. It suggests that North Korea is now willing to openly engage in a far more aggressive manner, leveraging its military presence to both aid an ally and test its combat capabilities in a modern war zone.

The strategic folly of Putin seeking assistance from North Korea—a nation with outdated military equipment and limited battlefield experience—cannot be understated. Observers are skeptical about the effectiveness of North Korean troops in a conflict as technologically advanced and fiercely contested as Ukraine. Despite Kim's enthusiasm for involving his soldiers, North Korea’s combat readiness remains questionable. Their equipment is outdated, and their last significant international military engagement was nearly fifty years ago. Meanwhile, their only advantage may be the ideological rigidity of soldiers indoctrinated to the point of fanatical loyalty—men whose families are potentially at risk if they fail to deliver in combat.

That Putin is leaning on such unreliable support speaks volumes about Russia's current military predicament. Once perceived as a global power capable of challenging the United States and NATO, Russia’s inability to sustain a prolonged war without looking eastward for support underscores a painful truth: the Russian bear is not what it used to be. The might that characterized Soviet-era Russia has given way to a weakened state that not only struggles with an effective military strategy but also finds itself devoid of reliable allies. China, though a vocal supporter of Russia, has not shown an inclination to directly support Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Iran's involvement is mostly restricted to the provision of drones, leaving Putin grasping at straws and now turning to North Korea's manpower.

The irony is inescapable—Putin, who has long projected himself as a guardian of Slavic civilization, now finds himself allied with Kim Jong-un, a dictator he would once have dismissed as a mere nuisance. Russia’s association with North Korea, often derided by the West as a rogue state, is emblematic of its declining influence on the global stage. John Foreman, the former British defense attaché to Russia, aptly captured the sentiment by stating that Russia once looked down on North Korea as a "pygmy state." The optics of a supposed superpower needing to rely on a country known more for its missile tests than military prowess is a clear indication of how far Russia has fallen.

Even more concerning is the diplomatic cost that North Korea appears willing to pay to prop up Russia. By openly supporting Putin, North Korea is further isolating itself from the global community, burning bridges with potential European partners in return for Russian military technology. The rewards for Kim are not just military but also strategic, providing his troops exposure to modern warfare and potentially learning about Western military equipment from their Russian allies. This exposure could be invaluable to North Korea, given its long-standing tensions with South Korea and the United States.

While North Korea's involvement may bolster Putin’s manpower in the short term, it does little to address the fundamental issues plaguing Russia's campaign in Ukraine. Russian forces are facing not only the logistical nightmare of maintaining long supply lines but also the growing morale crisis among troops, many of whom lack motivation or conviction. Adding North Korean soldiers, with their limited understanding of the battlefield dynamics and outdated equipment, may very well turn out to be a liability rather than an asset for the Russian war effort. Ukrainian forces have been actively targeting Russian supply lines and command structures, and a contingent of ideologically-driven North Korean troops is unlikely to reverse Russia's dwindling fortunes on the battlefield.

The broader implications of North Korea’s involvement are also concerning. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently pointed out that the inclusion of North Korean troops could internationalize the conflict even further, potentially turning it into a broader proxy war involving multiple nations. Such a development would mark a dangerous escalation, risking direct confrontations between the great powers of the East and West. The longer Russia relies on unorthodox alliances, the more precarious the global security landscape becomes.

Ultimately, Putin’s decision to beg Kim Jong-un for soldiers is not just a strategic blunder; it is a deeply symbolic act that shows the depths to which Russia’s military power has fallen. In an era when strategic alliances are often forged based on mutual respect and shared interests, the Russia-North Korea alliance is held together by desperation and necessity rather than strength. Once known for its proud heritage of "Tchaikovsky and Chekhov," Russia is now consorting with a dictator known more for public executions than for cultural achievements. If this is what Russian greatness has come to, then perhaps the Russian bear is indeed on life support, relying on North Korean crutches just to limp through its ambitions in Ukraine.

And what better end for this alliance than a satirical thought: Kim Jong-un, the man with the ill-fitting suits, bailing out Putin, the man who dreams of reinstating Russia’s lost glory. Perhaps next, we should expect a North Korean makeover for the Kremlin’s military uniforms—a perfect blend of desperation and delusion.