Kaldre: Russia, North Korea, Iran and China form a new 'axis of evil'
In an ERR News commentary, Peeter Kaldre warns that the four countries, united by hatred of the West, are more dangerous than past axes due to their active military cooperation and mutual agreements.
In an opinion piece published by ERR News, Peeter Kaldre argues that Russia, North Korea, Iran and China constitute a new “axis of evil,” despite not formally defining their relationship as such. He recalls that in 1983, Ronald Reagan called the Soviet Union an empire of evil, and in 2002, George W. Bush described Iran, Iraq and North Korea as an “axis of evil” supporting international terrorism.
Kaldre points out that during World War II, the Axis powers—Germany, Italy and Japan—did not carry out a single joint military operation. In contrast, today's quartet actively cooperates, bound together by hatred of Western values and the West as a whole. Of the four countries, three possess nuclear weapons, and the fourth is seeking to acquire them.
The author emphasizes the role of these countries in the war in Ukraine. Without their cooperation, Russia would likely not have been able to sustain the war for so long. China’s involvement remains largely concealed, but includes purchasing Russian oil and gas and smuggling dual-use technology. North Korea has openly sent soldiers—estimated at 12,000 to 15,000—with Ukrainian intelligence reporting plans for another 30,000. South Korean intelligence suggests North Korea has shipped nearly five million artillery shells to Russia. Kaldre also mentions a North Korean ballistic missile that struck a residential building near Kryvyi Rih in late July, killing an entire family, and Iranian Shahed drones that have terrorized civilians for years.
Kaldre stresses that the cooperation is two-way: Russia has shared space technology with North Korea in exchange for munitions and allegedly helped Iran with space intelligence for attacks on U.S. targets. This allows the quartet to create simultaneous flashpoints around the world, stretching the United States' ability to respond. He questions where the “axis of good” is, suggesting NATO would be the obvious answer, but current U.S. foreign policy is marked more by quarrels with allies than by effective measures. Citing Finland's Iltalehti, Kaldre warns that if Russia attacked Finland, it would not do so alone—Russian munitions would certainly include components from North Korea, Iran and China, just as seen in Ukraine today.
