Growing Coordination Between China, Russia, North Korea, Iran

As China, North Korea and Iran offer apparent support for Russia's war on Ukraine, a concern is emerging. Is a new axis taking shape? On Wednesday, the U.S. confirmed that North Korea has deployed at least 3,000 troops to Russia for training. What's more, Ukrainian intelligence says they've spotted as many as 12,000 troops there via satellite images. It's unclear why North Korean troops were sent there. If they're co-belligerents, their intention is to participate in this war on Russia's behalf. That is a very, very serious issue. And it will have impacts not only in Europe, it will also impact things in the Indo-Pacific as well. The growing coordination between these adhocracies is alarming the West. China and Russia are nuclear powers. North Korea has about 50 nuclear warheads, while the U.S. believes Iran is capable of assembling nuclear weapons. The military ties between them are becoming stronger. The U.S. Treasury said China worked with Russian firms to co-produce long-range drones. That is a step up from before, whereas China only provided Russia with dual-use goods. Iran has provided Russia with drones and ballistic missiles. Observers say China would decide how the alignment would develop. That's because it's the most powerful player out of the group. And all three depend on China for economic protection against Western sanctions. Meanwhile, the U.S. is caught up in two wars, one in the Middle East and the other in Europe. And Washington is struggling to keep weapons and munitions coffers stocked as it funnels gear to allies. Despite that, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he's confident that the U.S. would win in a war against China if Beijing invades Taiwan. Adding that a future conflict would be akin to World War II.