Over the last year, the autocratic regimes in Moscow and Pyongyang have increasingly intertwined their fates via ever deepening commitments and greater escalation.

American agencies have assessed that China dislikes the growing partnership between Russia and North Korea. The State Department has raised the troop issue with Chinese diplomats.

Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh says North Korea has sent about 10,000 troops to Russia to train and likely fight against Ukraine within “the next several weeks.”