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What Russia and North Korea gain from defense treaty
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What Russia and North Korea gain from defense treaty

North Korea ratified a major defense treaty with Russia. What do both sides hope to gain? Japan's PM survived a rare parliamentary vote. How will he tackle the country's sluggish economy? What do I expect to come from COP29, the new climate summit happening in Baku? Ian Bremmer shares his insights on global politics this week on World In :60.

NATO likely to respond if Russia sends North Korean troops to Ukraine
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NATO likely to respond if Russia sends North Korean troops to Ukraine

With reports of North Korean troops in Kursk, what is the likelihood of NATO directly intervening in the Ukraine-Russia war? Moldova's pro-Western President secured a second term after narrow runoff win. Does her victory reflect Western strength against Putin? How is the political rift between Bolivia's government and the former President Evo Morales affecting the country's stability and economy? Ian Bremmer shares his insights on global politics this week on World In :60.

What does Russia give in exchange for North Korean troops?
GZERO Europe

What does Russia give in exchange for North Korean troops?

What are the global consequences of North Korean soldiers now appearing on the frontlines in Ukraine? What’s the nature of the agreements that German Chancellor Scholz concluded during his recent visit to Delhi? Carl Bildt, former prime minister of Sweden and co-chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations, shares his perspective on European politics from Stockholm, Sweden.

Putin's rare North Korea visit will deepen ties
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Putin's rare North Korea visit will deepen ties

Will Putin's rare visit to North Korea strengthen anti-West alignment? Is escalation of war between Israel and Hezbollah inevitable? Will President Biden's new citizenship plan bolster his campaign? Ian Bremmer shares his insights on global politics this week on World In :60.

Russia's President Putin and North Korea's leader Kim meet in Amur region.
Analysis

Putin toasts to “strengthening of cooperation” with Kim Jong Un

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for several hours on Wednesday in Russia’s far east region amid reports that the Kremlin is looking to buy ammunition and weapons from Pyongyang due to dwindling stockpiles at home

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un.
Russia/Ukraine

Kim Jong Un meets Vladimir Putin

Infamous North Korean recluse Kim Jong Un does not leave the Korean Peninsula much, but he’s currently on route to Russia to meet Vladimir Putin.

It’s the first time that Kim, who’s making the long journey by train, has left the North in some four years, and his last trip abroad was also to the Russian city of Vladivostok where he’s expected to disembark on Tuesday. The Kremlin is treating it as a full state visit.

The Graphic Truth: Russian and Chinese oil exports to North Korea
Graphic Truth

The Graphic Truth: Russian and Chinese oil exports to North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian Pacific port city of Vladivostok is in part meant to highlight that both leaders – though isolated – still have friends in high places. Putin is expected to ask for additional arms from North Korea, while Pyongyang wants economic and material help as it struggles with ongoing food shortages and perennial economic mismanagement.

One area that Kim will focus on is oil. The Vladivostok summit follows a renewal of Russian oil exports to North Korea that had laid dormant for over two years. Between December 2022 and April 2023, Russia told the United Nations it exported over 67,000 barrels of oil to North Korea. And that’s only what’s been reported officially. Satellite photos of trains on the Russia-North Korea border from the Center for Strategic and International Studies shows Russia is likely exporting even more to North Korea on the hush-hush.

Here’s a look at recent oil exports to North Korea from Pyongyang’s two closest allies, Russia and China.

A TV screen shows an image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang.
Europe

North Korea hacked who now?

For five months in 2021-2022, North Korean hackers ran wild in the systems of a top Russian missile company, according to a new report by Reuters.

The breach of NPO Mashinostroyeniya, which makes Russia’s cutting-edge hypersonic cruise missiles, was discovered by Reuters and a team of cybersecurity experts who were tipped off when an IT person at the Russian company uploaded info about the hack to a server monitored by global cyber analysts.

What We’re Watching: Russia buys North Korean arms, EU tilts at windfalls, Indonesians take to the streets
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What We’re Watching: Russia buys North Korean arms, EU tilts at windfalls, Indonesians take to the streets

Russia scrambles for weapons, EU mulls windfall tax, Indonesians protest fuel price hike