Putin, Like Trump, Has Been Dancing with Kim Jong Un for Years

In 2017, I wrote a pair of stories about Russia secretly supplying North Korea's nuclear program and Donald Trump amplifying the threat of war fueled by his ally, Vladimir Putin. The alliances have not changed, and neither have their tactics. The timing of Putin's visit to North Korea should raise some concern, but only as a potential assist to Trump’s election campaign.

In August 2017, I posted two articles on Narativ about Russia and North Korea's covert collaboration. Paid subscribers to the Narativ newsletter can access these stories below. (Tip: There’s a free preview period available.)

"Ferry Service" documented how a suspicious Russian ferry was caught transporting alleged military contraband to Pyongyang just weeks before North Korea conducted unprecedented ICBM tests using what appeared to be Russian rocket engines.

In "Wag the Dog," I analyzed how Russia's clandestine support for North Korea's weapons program allowed Trump to heighten tensions with North Korea to gain domestic support in a "Wag The Dog" scenario.

Russia's alliance with Kim is no surprise, and it follows that Donald Trump will use Putin's visit to Pyongyang to bolster his claims that his relationship with Putin and Kim will help avert wars with the US. This position ignores his party's advocacy for the US to halt funding and supporting Ukraine. Russia is demanding the world allow it to annex Ukraine's territory—in direct opposition to the UN charter.