• Putin has insisted that Russia, with its invasion of Ukraine, is defending its “traditional values” in a fight against threats as diverse as Western liberalism, Satan, and Nazism. The Foreign Minister of North Korea, Choe Son-hui, recently remarked that her country supports Russia in its "holy war."  
• Russian President Vladimir Putin seems undeterred by the apparent contradiction in his claims of Russia being, on the one hand, a sovereign, self-sufficient power with the capacity to independently influence events in world affairs, and on the other hand, a victim of Western dominance. 
• It is plausible that Putin, somehow, can reconcile the two conflicting perspectives, with Russia being an empire and a paragon of anti-imperialism at the same time. Performing the role of the victim was always politically convenient, and his grievances about a Western menace may also resonate with audiences abroad.  
• Pondering whether the world is dealing with a new axis or not, one should recall that the cooperation between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea in certain regards already goes beyond whatever cooperation Nazi Germany was able to achieve with Italy and Japan during the Second World War. 
• The deepening ties between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea constitute a grave threat to all countries in their geopolitical crosshairs, from Ukraine to Taiwan

Read the full article at The National Interest.

Opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author. Photo by Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP.