as for now, least you're watching the w news. i'll be back at the top of the hour with more world news. i to see you then the the see the love and respect, the

a little drive. a stroll through the rose garden and the night of entertainment. but this new bond between buddy near bruton and kim jong on is far from harmless. it's the leader of russia, a country several years into a full scale war. and the leader of north korea, a total of terry and dictatorship, that's constantly testing new missiles. what's really bringing these 2 leaders closer together? a shared vision of the world's desperation, or something more pragmatic. the pretty wild gift from russia for peeling young. this is vladimir putin has been given kim john on

a lot of presents to show how close the leaders of the con these public displays of affection are meant for the whole world to see. the north korea is one of the most isolated countries in the world. and russia has been sidelined by the west since it's full scale invasion of ukraine in 2022. so joining forces has advantages for both sides. and this is where it has the biggest advantage for boots and on the battlefield. russia has lost a lot of soldiers since the beginning of the war, and just having difficulties recruiting at home. that's where north korean help comes and can sent troops to fight against ukraine's unexpected incursion onto a russian soil. in the course of the region, these videos are believed to show north korean soldiers. being equipped at a military base in russia. in january,

ukraine announced it had captured wounded north korean soldiers in the course region, south korean, and us intelligent say there are more than 10000 north koreans fighting on the russian side. least officer loops completely a precedent to, to take steps when someone calls me in 2022 can't have happened. i said, definitely not. so that's for to keep us in mind defense. it's just never happened before. this greece has never asked the dispatched proper troops like full units to calculate the open function field. our tech keeps key started studying north korea . in moscow. he's been in south korea since 2011, and it's now electra south korea's quick me in university, specializing in north korea and military, social and political history. jenny town agrees it's, it's very rare to see north korea send troops to another country and especially for war, but north korea doesn't necessarily have

a direct stake. and so this is the 1st time you know north chris, really acting like an actual allied jenny town has been working on north korea for around 20 years and runs the north korea program at the u. s. space stimson center think tank. she spoke to us on a work trip to south korea. some of the reports that we're hearing coming out of russia is that, you know, the north koreans are certainly capable and, you know, willing to fight. but they, they have no idea what to do. big south korean and us officials estimate hundreds of can soldiers have been killed. you know, maybe you can download and probably had an understanding that the majority of those tubes probably weren't coming home. oh, he's absolutely rules. let's keep going to be a dozen times. he said, no matter what happens to his soldiers, kim is getting money for them being there. and that's important for his cash strapped economy that on the battlefield. his soldiers aren't the most crucial

things came. is providing to food to the pig farm, a tractor factory, and a pigeon farm and north korea. and they all might be producing for putin. but we're not really back on the animal gifts, because these are all likely missile factories. north korea often conceals these kinds of factories by giving them misleading names. in 2023, kim reportedly ordered a boost to north korea's production as missiles and artillery shells. and guess what? north korea has been providing russia millions of artillery shells. according to south korea's intelligence service so it seems kim is helping food and re supply and his war of attrition, the smallest and most of the 2 of which

housed also used to be extremely useful. index on the nation supplied by the way, the horses we saw earlier were reportedly also part of pollutants payment for north korean shells. and kim isn't just providing shells. this is a north korean ballistic missile. ukraine says russia has been using them in the war. like here in kids these are remnants of missiles used in a tax and several locations across ukraine. the u. k based investigative organization conflict arm, and that research has confirmed their north korean marseilles. russia has denied using north korean weapons but can then put in at made their relationship official. they signed a treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership on political and economic

cooperation. but the headline here is the mutual defense clause in the treaty if either party is attacked, the other will provide, quote, military or other assistance. the prussia has been framing the war and ukraine as a war against nato and the collective west led by the us. and that's the cause that kim is happy to sign up for. now, russia has a military partner in that war against the west, in that common cause. and the military partner that has nuclear weapons and is willing to also take risky, bold moves the way they rush that you heard. right. this is what many experts say about north korea. yes, they have nuclear weapons. the mutual defense clause is pretty much copy and paste from an old treaty from 1961 when russia was part of the soviet union. so the whole

thing feels like a revival of cold war times when you chose to move, the practical gifts just develops by piece and of the go with him is okay, he's got a meeting, but it's just curious to communicate. you say, just give sales. and so for us to, i'm smelling it sounds like bruton is trying to down play is fine. but for kim, this is big because it's cooperation with russia potentially includes technology that the international community doesn't want north korea to get kim has long been trying to show that he has intercontinental ballistic missiles that can carry a nuclear warhead. the he's been boasting that now north korea's missiles could even hit the us mainland. but there's debate about how far they could fly and farmed with the warhead and how accurately they can hit targets. all if this is also worrying for neighboring south korea. the 2 countries

have been in the frozen conflict since the korean war and the 1950s for more on that check out are mapped out on relations between north and south korea. but back to put it in camp that russia north korea treaty, we talked about before, also promises cooperation on the quote, peaceful use of nuclear energy. but there is concern that russia could be helping north korea with non peaceful things like it's nukes, especially now that north korea has sent russia troops. the more russia owes north korea, the more likely there is going to be cooperation in military technology. you should never underestimate what north korea can accomplish on its own, but with russian assistance it can certainly move faster and potentially into more sophisticated technology is super power russia owing you something is useful when you're as isolated as north korea. north korea is under

sanctions, which means limited trade. and kim is basically sealed the country off. one of the points where north korea is connected to the outside world is the china north korea friendship bridge. this will help us understand north korea's friendship with russia. so bear with us. china has long been north gray as lifeline. as of 2023, china accounted for over 95 percent of north korea's trade. most of it took place at this bridge. it was already in use during the cold war when china was an important supporter. i think the things are always trying to diminish the influence of the, of the trend is diminished, the dependent on the training. that's where the north korea, russia friendship, bridge comes in on the other side of the country. it was built in 1959 when russia was still part of the soviet union, which back north korea. now guten,

is willing to see that relationship blossom again. a chance for ken cube is so much better to invest into this relationship. if he's too cool, that's fine. nice. you can tell him to balance between these dominants in the like . for the relationship, the treaty, the 2 leaders signed, pays to wait for that. and building bridges isn't just an empty phrase for potent and can. they literally agreed to build a bridge one for vehicle traffic. it could potentially be constructed here as an extension of the nearest russian highway and could mean more trade in the future. trading with russia is already paying off for can north korean oil tankers have been making trips to russia to bring back oil. for example, on this route, that's according to an investigation by the open source center, a u. k based non profit. and that oil matters for 2 reasons. first of

all, it's actual fuel for kens military, which means it's strengthening his regime. he reportedly gets oil in return for sending ammunition missiles and troops to putin. and secondly, this is a win win for bruton, because putin has a lot of oil. the majority of it used to go to e u countries, but the european union has band most oil and ports instructions full scale invasion of ukraine pollutants. oil shipments to north korea are also a way to show how little he cares about sanctions. of any kind came, his regime has been under un sanctions because of his missiles and nuclear weapons program for almost 20 years. they also limit oil imports to north korea. before russia consistently supported the restrictions, now put in has changed course, excuse breaking,

wiki un. sanctions of his brain can be told mechanism as russia has a lot of power in the us because it's a permanent member and the security council, meaning it can veto things in 2020 for a rush. i use this veto to shut down a you and watch dogs that monitors sanctions on north korea. because it's a couple itself is completely paralyzed on the issue of north korea. no new sanctions can be passed. so russia's behavior in the security council is pretty useful for north korea. meanwhile, north korea's long term allied china abstained in the recent about the different approaches between china and russia towards the international community. is that china doesn't want to up in the system. they just want better positioning within it, right. versus russia is trying to up and the system. we think this always be quite a no, she championed and even boston though, actually like i do believe it's all like pitching was a tell that determination,

whole relationship washer which have to choose but to comply on to is this now it seems like a mature needs a quite and so are came in to, to put in get fresh troops an ammunition for his war and ukraine. and kim gets oil special gift and a buddy on the international stage. so for now, the leaders can give each other what they need to use various relationships as a search engine. quantity dispatcher wants it to be of that one with if it does that, it's very bad for those career because the grand and wants need them anymore. i don't think the relationship is necessarily contingent on the warranty. okay. it is a substantive treaty and one that isn't just about the war and ukraine, but really building cooperation in the been, you know, what russia has referred to as the war against the west. which means north korea,

a rogue and isolated power with nuclear weapons can call russia it's pragmatic friends. at least for now the . this is the, the, the news africa coming up on the program. the escalation conflicts in easton, d. r. c. m. 23 rebels are advancing in the region, not just using a key city goma, even 1000 instead of growing humanitarian does. austin? there's no sign of immune and peace with can chestler and to god the trading blame a neighboring countries getting involved. also on the program, the warnings in kenya of a rise in cases of police abuse is we'll hear from the victims and the acts of this fighting for justice plus the social media side hassle, we will meet the content creates as going, allows.