Talking Points Ukraine: Putin’s embrace of North Korea, others will not end well for russia

While the acknowledgment of this heinous deed by the UN carried some gravitas in the international media, the reality is that this act, and many others perpetrated between the tyrannical allies, has been known for some time. In January of this year, GUR Spokesperson Andrii Yusov revealed to Ukrinform the use of North Korean artillery by russian forces against Ukraine, while in the same article, the spokesman for the Ground Forces of the AFU specifically discussed the Kharkiv attack eventually referenced by the UN. Clear statements by US officials on the use of North Korean ballistic missiles by moscow in its continued war of aggression against the Ukrainian people date back even earlier.

Although North Korea has been sanctioned numerous times by the UN Security Council, with a plethora of restrictions ongoing and the latest penalties incurred due to its testing of the Hwasong-15 missile, the international organization was either unable or unwilling to take more robust measures to stop the transfer of these deadly instruments from Pyongyang to its russian partners. Additionally, due to its possession of a permanent, albeit illegitimate, seat on the Security Council, russia has been able to forestall most official criticisms and new punitive measures against the despotic Asian hermit state while also ending oversight inspections deriving from previous UN resolutions.

Arrangements such as the one that resulted in a North Korean missile being fired by russian troops at innocent Ukrainians are part of an ongoing trend by the dictator putin to embrace whichever terrorists or criminals are willing to assist with his sadistic colonial ambitions while challenging his opponents to stop him. This outreach includes charm offensives with the Taliban and Hamas, while numerous drug cartels are ramping up business in russian ports. russia’s failings as a functioning, modern country have necessitated its need to find common ground with other adversaries of global freedom and individual liberty. There is no need for a UN document to substantiate how these dalliances will end. These barbarous collaborations have a finite life cycle and a certain conclusion, one which will be made clear to russia, North Korea, the terrorist cells, and all others: a victory for Ukraine and justice for the Ukrainian people.

Sergeant Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, Armed Forces of Ukraine

This column contains the author’s views only and does not represent the Armed Forces of Ukraine or any government entity