Russia-Ukraine Conflict
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Conflicts - Tensions
‘Expendable’ North Korean troops ordered on futile missions in Russia’s illegal war
FORUM Staff North Korea’s ill-prepared troops, deployed to support Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine, are suffering significant casualties, including about 1,000 deaths and injuries during one week in late December 2024. The mass casualty estimates, provided by the United States National Security Advisor’s office and the U.S. Department of Defense, appear to confirm analysts’ predictions that North Korean troops would…
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Conflicts - Tensions
North Korean troop deployment to Russia violates U.N. resolutions
FORUM Staff The European Union imposed new sanctions on two top North Korean defense officials in mid-December 2024 for their roles in deploying troops to aid Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine. The EU targeted North Korean Defense Minister Ro Kwang Chol for his direct involvement in the military cooperation between the two regimes, including sending an estimated 11,000 troops to…
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Conflicts - Tensions
PRC’s links to Russia, battle inexperience cited for slowing arms sales
Voice of America The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) drive to buttress its military modernization through increased international arms sales has slowed, according to a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, with experts citing Chinese-made weapons systems’ lack of battlefield testing as a detriment. The December 2024 report shows significant growth in total international arms sales driven by…
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Global Commons
Severed data cables linked to PRC-flagged cargo ship, European officials say
FORUM Staff European defense and government officials said a People’s Republic of China (PRC)-flagged vessel is a prime suspect after two undersea internet cables were severed in a span of hours in mid-November 2024. The cargo carrier Yi Peng 3 left a Russian port and sailed over both cables in the Baltic Sea about the time they were damaged. The…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Kyiv, Seoul deepen security ties over North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia
Agence France-Presse South Korea and Ukraine will enhance their security cooperation in response to North Korea’s troop deployment to bolster Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine. The announcement followed a November 2024 meeting between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov after the countries expressed alarm about Pyongyang sending thousands of soldiers to western Russia. Yoon…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
G7 defense chiefs pledge commitment to Free and Open Indo-Pacific
FORUM Staff Defense ministers from the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations said they seek constructive and stable relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), while stating that Beijing has no legal basis for its expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea. The ministers said they are “strongly opposed to China’s repeated obstruction of freedom of navigation, militarization…
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Conflicts - Tensions
North Korean troops may be ‘cannon fodder’ in Russia’s war against Ukraine
FORUM Staff The precise quantity and capabilities of North Korean troops deployed to bolster Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine remain unknown. But few observers are optimistic about the prospects for the imported fighters. Officials estimate about 11,000 North Korean troops have moved into Russia’s Kursk region, and there is growing consensus that at least some have been on the battlefield.…
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Conflicts - Tensions
EU foreign policy chief says Europe must respond to threats from PRC, Russia, North Korea
Voice of America The European Union’s new foreign policy chief signaled she will take a tough stance on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia, while advocating for a strong alliance between Europe and the United States. Kaja Kallas addressed the European Parliament for the first time in her new role in mid-November 2024, stressing the EU will be…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Malaysia, South Korea boost defense industry ties
Reuters Malaysia and South Korea have agreed to cooperate in supplying critical minerals from Malaysia’s reserves and to boost defense industry cooperation as the Southeast Asian country seeks to upgrade its Air Force jets. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol also affirmed their commitment to conclude a free trade agreement by 2025, Yoon’s office…
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Conflicts - Tensions
North Korea-Russia military ties require coordinated response to maintain Indo-Pacific stability
U.S. Army 8th Theater Sustainment Command, National Security Law Team North Korea’s increasing military support for Russia, including arms shipments and deployment of 10,000 troops for Moscow’s illegal war against Ukraine, raises significant strategic and legal concerns for the Indo-Pacific. It signals a deepening alliance between two authoritarian regimes seeking to counter the influence of the United States and its…
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