There have been reports that over 11,000 North Korean troops are present in Russia and preparing to take part in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. While not acknowledged by either country, if true, this would mark a historic milestone: the first East Asian troops present in Europe since the Mongol Empire.  North Korea shares land borders with three countries: China, South Korea, and Russia. Despite this, the North Korea-Russia relationship has received less attention geopolitically. With Russia's increasing international isolation, it's pushed Putin to seek alternative alliances. What does this tell us about the geopolitics of the region? How aware was China of North Korea's decision to help Putin? And could the incoming Trump administration impact relations? Historian John Delury joins Cindy Yu to try and disentangle these complicated diplomatic relations. Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Cindy Yu.