Dr Samuel Ramani

Samuel Ramani, an associate fellow at the RUSI think tank and the author of the book Russia in Africa, described the collapse of Assad’s regime as a “geopolitical and status defeat for Russia” that not only creates logistical problems but undermines its reputation with pro-Kremlin dictators in Africa.

What will Iran do now that so many of its proxies have been devastated since October the 7th? And if there’s a ceasefire in Gaza, what next for the Palestinians? To discuss all this and more in this week’s episode of the Fourcast, Matt Frei was joined by Channel 4 News’ Foreign Affairs Correspondent Secunder Kermani and Jonathan Rugman – who covered the Middle East for years at Channel 4 News and is a now a Senior Associate Fellow at the defence and security think tank RUSI.

In addition to technologies Kim might want to further advance Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs, North Korea will receive about $200 million from Moscow for its troop deployment, according to an estimate from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service. “North Korea is not necessarily wanting to back away from the relationship at the moment because it’s given a lifeline as well as a hedge partner against China,” said Samuel Ramani, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London. Kim is “willing to commit almost anything that Putin is willing to ask him to do at this point,” Ramani said.