It is clear what Vladimir Putin gains from thousands of North Korean troops joining Russia’s prolonged war in Ukraine. But the motivation behind Kim Jong-un sending young and inexperienced soldiers into a battle that will enter its third winter this year is less apparent.

Russia has confirmed to the West that North Korea is taking an active part in the war against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the South Korean KBS TV channel published on Oct.