North Korea Is a Surprisingly Valuable Wartime Ally to Russia and Iran

"North Korea is obviously in a situation right now where they basically want to have a bit more of a role beyond the peninsula," Samuel Ramani, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, told Newsweek. "They are in a unique position, where they're no longer just relying on Chinese patronage, they can now play Russia and China off each other, which is what they did during that large portion of the Cold War, particularly during the Sino-Soviet split and its aftermath," he added. "They also want to diversify their partnerships."