Are North Korean Troops Fighting for Russia a Sign of "Desperation"?

What they are saying about the state of the war

Hello All,

Ive spent much of the last two weeks discussing the state of the war with some Ukrainians I know, to prepare the writing for my latest Atlantic article and for a briefing session which was held yesterday at the UK parliament. One of the most interesting questions was the situation regarding North Korean troops in Ukraine. Its been one of the most important developments of the last two weeks—a story that went very quickly from rumor to now full confirmation (and a story that might very well grow in the coming weeks).

In one way, as I wrote in the Atlantic, the appearance of these troops is absolutely typical of the war Vladimir Putin is waging this war.

While Ukraine’s supporters seem wracked by doubts and indecision about what to do and how well to help Ukraine, Putin just goes ahead and does what he thinks will help him win the war. Here is an excerpt from the article.

Of course Putin’s risk-reward calculation is often wrong. His decision to escalate and to attack Ukraine directly from Russia in the Kharkiv offensive was a strategic mistake.