Beware of Russia’s military alliances

At the end of October 2024, Deputy Minister of Defense Colonel General Aleksandr Fomin traveled to Pakistan to strengthen cooperation with the Pakistani army. During the trip, he met General Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff. According to a press release, the meeting addressed the regional security environment and issues of common interest, including strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of defense and security. While this statement sounds benign, Russia’s recent military alliances and support for the war in Ukraine send shivers down your spine.

Although the press release does not indicate that the Pakistani military will engage in the war in Ukraine, it cannot be ruled out. Earlier this month, the media reported the presence of North Korean soldiers in the occupied territories of Ukraine, with North Korean soldiers actively participating in the fighting.

On October 31, 2024, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken announced at a press meeting that approximately 8,000 troops were stationed in Russia, on the border with Ukraine. North Korean soldiers. Secretary Blinken warned that Russia is preparing to send these troops into combat in the coming days.

Secretary Blinken reported that North Korea is believed to have sent 10,000 troops to Russia, first to training bases in the Far East. It said this included training in artillery, unmanned aerial vehicles and basic infantry operations, including trench clearing. As Secretary Blinken pointed out, the type of training suggested that Russia intended to fully use these forces in frontline operations. Most of the North Korean troops were then sent to the Kursk Oblast on the border with Ukraine.

Commenting on the Russian-North Korean alliance, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui confirmed that North Korea will support Russia until victory.

The announcement of the involvement of North Korean armed forces on the front lines is a clear signal that the United States expects a large-scale deployment of foreign troops in Russia’s war with Ukraine.

Little is known about the exact number of foreign soldiers and foreign fighters involved in Russia’s war in Ukraine. In February 2024 media reported that as many as 15,000 Nepalis joined the Russian army as mercenaries. Although the Nepalese government disputes these numbers, Nepali politicians have reportedly been approached by thousands of families of Nepalese fighters who joined Russia’s war in Ukraine and have lost contact with them. The fighters are said to have been lured by several benefits, including a salary of at least $2,000 a month and an expedited procedure for obtaining a Russian passport. Similarly, Indian nationals are said to have been lured to Russia to work in various service jobs before being sent to the front lines.

Although foreign fighters could be lured with promises of other employment opportunities, good salaries and other benefits, reports of foreign military involvement in hostilities are a matter of grave concern and require further attention. The conclusion is that Russia’s war in Ukraine is a crime of aggression; Russia’s war in Ukraine includes a litany of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and even elements of genocide under international law. Foreign troops joining hostilities risk becoming embroiled in these international crimes and becoming the subject of investigations and criminal proceedings, including before the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC continues to investigate international crimes committed by Russian troops in Ukraine six arrest warrants have already been released. More arrest warrants are expected to be issued.

The North Korean military joining the frontline hostilities in Ukraine will be subject to an ICC investigation, even if North Korea is not a party to the Rome Statute.

Similarly, as the Pakistani military welcomed Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin seeking closer military cooperation, if that cooperation includes involvement on the Ukrainian front (whether for war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide), the Pakistani military could be investigated by the ICC even without Pakistan being a state party to the Rome Statute.

Engagement and complicity in Russia’s international crimes is a risk that foreign militaries take by supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine.