Executive Summary: Russia is leveraging the United States’ preoccupation with its presidential election to advance its strategic interests, bringing in additional military support from North Korea with the arrival of North Korean troops and supplies. This alliance benefits both parties, as North Korea gains technological... MORE

Executive Summary: North Korean troops have been deployed to support Russia in its war against Ukraine. This is part of a mutual security alliance that strengthens Russia’s frontline without requiring further mobilization. The Western response has so far been cautious, with the United States downplaying... MORE

Executive Summary: This year’s Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors, underscoring the importance of preserving the international norm against the first use of nuclear weapons amid Russia’s increasing nuclear brinkmanship. Putin has placed himself into an awkward position where his frequent... MORE

Executive Summary: The People’s Republic of China (PRC) engages in extensive security cooperation with other single-party socialist states. This includes deploying the People’s Armed Police (PAP) to train paramilitary and police forces in these countries, offering cybersecurity support, and assisting with online information control. Policymakers... MORE

Executive Summary: Ant Group’s strategy since the fallout from its canceled IPO in 2020 and subsequent crackdown on the fintech sector has seen it seek opportunities while capturing projects within the People’s Republic of China (PRC) that are aligned with government priorities. Key markets for... MORE

Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea and Vietnam to neutralize the diplomatic outcomes of the peace summit in Switzerland and prove Russia’s ability to maintain a high international profile. Nuclear saber-rattling and Moscow’s need for more artillery shells were high on Putin’s... MORE

Few prospects worry Moscow more than a potential reduction of tensions between the United States and China. Such a development, even if half-hearted and temporary, would threaten a curtailment of Beijing’s support for Russia in the international arena—at least from Moscow’s perspective. The Asia-Pacific Economic... MORE

If Russia’s pivot to Asia was not yet dead, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s recent visit to Pyongyang on October 18 and 19 may have sealed its fate (TASS, October 18). Lavrov hailed the “blooming friendship, solidarity, and cooperation” between Russia and North Korea. Choe Son-hui,... MORE

On October 6, Russia voiced its intentions to cancel ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which Moscow signed in 1996 and officially ratified in 2000. Russian President Vladimir Putin delegated responsibility for this move to the Russian State Duma, and the legislative body and... MORE

On September 13, two armored trains met at a cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East. While this might read like the beginning of a joke, it is in fact an accurate description of last week’s meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim... MORE