Putin's Alliance With North Korea's Kim Worries China: Analyst

Sari Arho Havrén, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute think tank in London, takes a different view from Howell. "I have been a little surprised by the commentaries on how deepening ties between Russia and North Korea would have irked or worried Beijing," she told Newsweek. Arho Havrén said Putin likely obtained Xi's blessing for his state trip to North Korea while he was in China last month. "While North Korea can be unpredictable, this move by Putin and Kim also benefits Beijing: Xi does not want to see Russia defeated in Ukraine, and Xi can also maintain the appearance of limiting direct military support for Russia himself," she said.