Were it not for North Korea helping Russia, the Ukrainian war might be over or close to it.

[Jit423]

Putin and Russia are bullies. Putin and Russia have not been able to beat Ukraine in three years and but now with the help of North Korea They will probably get everything they want.

[kimbutgar]

1. I read somewhere that a lot of North Korean soldiers are getting killed or they are abandoning the battle fields

[marble falls]

3. I've even read entire companies are just disappearing.

[RandomNumbers]

6. I feel sorry for the families of the North Koreans dying this way.

My understanding is that, except for perhaps the select few (who wouldn't be in these battalions sent to Ukraine), no one in North Korea has much say at all in how they must live their lives. So it is not like they are choosing to be on the side of evil.

Being a not-powerful person in North Korea is probably a rough life to start with. Imagine being spouse, sibling, parent, or child of a member of the cannon fodder squadron.

[marble falls]

8. I do not get it. The closest I can get to any answer is North Korea hasn't blooded their troops ...

... whereas South Korea have. During Viet Nam, ROK solders were well know for their abilities in battle.

It might make sense to offer up a corps rich in NCOs and lower officer ranks to learn about the realities of battle.

[Mysterian]

9. It could create a group of military veterans out of fucks to give

and willing to depose the insane dictator who gave them up for cannon fodder.

[marble falls]

10. It gives them a core of "middle managemnt" who don't flinch when the shells fall, they create ...

... unit cohesiveness in sticky situations.

And who knows - I can't imagine Un taking rubles, is Putin paying him in US Dollars, or Russian diamonds and gold?

[marble falls]

2. Let's boycot North Korea! Cut off all aid to North Korea! Anyone want to invade North Korea?

[Johonny]

4. But they are our biggest trade ally

In very nice letters.

[marble falls]

5. Beautiful, mancrushy letters, I've heard.

[Brother Buzz]

7. I understand the North Korea soldiers are nothing but cannon fodder

They have zero experience in combat and cannot effectively communicate with Russian troops; they are just marched to the front to be slaughtered. The smart North Korean soldiers surrender at the first opportunity.

[Beachnutt]

11. A little off subject but

Didn't Russia supply North Vietnam in our long vietnam war ?
Russia supported the enemy of the US as thousands of our troops were killed.

[Polybius]

12. We should have annexed the USSR around1945-1950

We had nukes 5 years before anyone else did.

[fujiyamasan]

13. Have you heard of operation unthinkable?

“It would be beyond our power to win a quick but limited success and we would be committed to a protracted war against heavy odds"

I don’t think there was any public support for further
Conflict immediately following wwII.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Unthinkable