Summary
Highlights
The video opens by showcasing weapons used in Ukraine—missiles from North Korea, drones from Iran, and cruise missiles with components from China—highlighting their non-Russian origins. These appearances signal a new collaboration between Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China, which some in the US are calling an "axis," reminiscent of historical Axis Powers. This new alliance is described as an "Axis of Upheaval," aiming to challenge the current geopolitical order.
China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea, although diverse, share two common goals. First, each seeks to establish or re-establish its own sphere of influence: Russia in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Iran in the Middle East, North Korea on the Korean peninsula, and China across Southeast Asia and Taiwan. Second, they are all united by a shared animosity towards the United States, which has consistently thwarted their ambitions by arming allies and imposing sanctions.
The US has increasingly used sanctions as a tool to weaken its adversaries, blocking trade and preventing access to vital resources and advanced technology. Examples include sanctions on North Korea, leading to severe shortages, and sanctions on Iran, limiting its oil sales and access to advanced weaponry. These sanctions have inadvertently pushed these states to cooperate, with Iran buying missiles from North Korea, and China trading with both Iran and North Korea, enabling them to circumvent international pressure.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine significantly escalated the cooperation among these nations. Depleted of ammunition and facing Western sanctions on its economy, Russia turned to these states for help. North Korea supplied millions of rounds of ammunition and missiles, while Iran provided missiles and thousands of drones. In return, Russia has become Iran's largest foreign investor, providing advanced weaponry like fighter jets, and is sending food, energy, and advanced technology (including for weapons) to North Korea.
China plays a crucial role by buying Russian oil, injecting billions into its economy, and supplying 'dual-use products' (commercial items with military applications) for Russian weaponry. While China doesn't directly send weapons, its components end up in Russian missiles and drones. In exchange, Russia provides China with sophisticated technology, possibly for submarines and missile defense. This reciprocal trade allows these nations to survive sanctions and strengthen their influence. China leverages its position on the UN Security Council to block US initiatives, such as new sanctions on North Korea and a ceasefire in Gaza, further undermining the US-led world order. This "Axis of Upheaval" aims to overturn existing rules and norms, creating a new system based on their collective interests and ideologies.
The concern is that this axis, particularly with China's resources, could undermine the entire US-led world order. They advocate for a world where there's no universal definition of democracy or human rights and where external states cannot interfere in internal affairs, undermining US pressure on autocracies. This competition is already fueling violence, seen in conflicts like Armenia-Azerbaijan and threats in South America, and significantly impacts the Middle East. While not yet a formal alliance, their growing cooperation puts immense pressure on the US to support its allies, like Ukraine, as the axis seeks to demonstrate that combined might can overcome US and allied power, encouraging other nations to join their alternative world order.