Russia, feeling a bit pinched with the whole Ukraine situation not going exactly as planned, has decided to make some interesting new friends. Enter Kim Jong Un, leader of North Korea and connoisseur of all things reclusive. The two have decided to become besties, much to the chagrin of the United States, who has been trying to give them both the cold shoulder for a while now.
This unlikely pairing, dubbed a "bad look" for Putin by former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, is less about shared interests and more about shared desperation. Russia needs weapons, and North Korea, well, North Korea needs just about everything. It’s a match made in, well, not heaven, that's for sure.
The agreement includes promises to increase trade, because who needs actual money when you can just barter, right? They’ve also vowed to defend each other if anyone gets any funny ideas about an attack, which is probably giving their respective militaries a good chuckle.
This whole situation has South Korea a bit on edge, especially after Putin, in a move straight out of a playground squabble, threatened to send weapons to North Korea if South Korea dares to help out Ukraine. South Korea, understandably miffed, has condemned the new friendship and is now rethinking its whole "let's send weapons to Ukraine" plan.
Meanwhile, Kinzinger, perhaps with a touch of wishful thinking, suggests that this whole debacle is actually a sign of the U.S.'s "strong" foreign policy. According to him, the U.S. has been so good at isolating these two countries that they had no choice but to become friends. It's like that old saying: "The enemy of my enemy is my awkward, slightly concerning new friend?"
Only time will tell how this new partnership will play out on the world stage. Will it be a match made in geopolitical heaven, or will it fizzle out faster than a North Korean missile launch? Stay tuned.