NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is sounding the alarm about a new and dangerous “Axis of Authoritarians”—namely, North Korea, China, Iran, and Russia—teaming up to threaten global security. According to Rutte, this is not just a local issue anymore; it’s a direct threat to Europe, the United States, and the entire Indo-Pacific region.
“China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran—this is more and more a threat not only to the European part of NATO but also to the United States,” Rutte stated, pointing to a new level of military collaboration. Russia, it seems, is handing over cutting-edge tech to North Korea in exchange for troops to aid its failing effort in Ukraine.
This development came after reports from South Korea’s defense ministry revealed that North Korea has stationed over 10,000 of its troops in Russia, some on the front lines, to boost Russia’s struggling war effort. In return, North Korea is expected to receive sophisticated weaponry and technology, further equipping this rogue nation and its allies to become a threat not just to their regional neighbors but to the Western world as a whole.
Rutte’s comments have come at a crucial time as over 40 European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, gather in Budapest. Notably, the summit kicked off just hours after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory. Rutte seemed eager to sit down with Trump, stating, “We have to work together… I look forward to sitting down with Donald Trump to discuss how we can face these threats collectively.” You can almost hear the sigh of relief from European leaders at the thought of Trump, who has been critical of NATO countries for not pulling their weight, stepping back into the global security picture.
As Rutte noted, Trump has been “absolutely right” about pushing NATO allies to up their defense budgets. During his first term, Trump insisted on NATO members meeting the 2% GDP defense spending target. And look what’s happened since: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has finally pushed European countries to boost military funding, with 18 NATO nations now meeting that target, a huge improvement from the meager three countries that were in compliance back in 2014.
Meanwhile, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has also been on the phone with Trump, strategizing about the increased presence of North Korean troops in Russia and discussing Pyongyang’s latest missile launch. Yoon expressed that he and Trump plan to meet soon to hash out how to confront this “dangerous expansion” of North Korean influence.
Of course, the Biden-Harris administration tried to project “peace through diplomacy,” while this new alliance of bad actors became more emboldened and equipped under their watch. Now, with Trump coming back into office, world leaders are recalibrating. This shift back to Trump’s leadership may finally give our allies the boost they need to meet these threats head-on and show some real backbone.
