North Korea's Best Soldiers Are Fighting in Ukraine | Opinion

The North Korea-Russia arrangement benefits Beijing, which believes it is in its interest to support both neighbouring regimes. The North Korean leader needs revenue, because at this moment his economy and agriculture are both failing. At the same time, Russia's depleted forces need soldiers to fight Ukraine. In this case, Beijing is also avoiding criticism from around the world for helping both parties. As Sari Arho Havren of the Royal United Services Institute told Newsweek in June, Beijing does not want to see Russia defeated in Ukraine and Xi wants to "maintain the appearance of limiting direct military support for Russia himself."