A few days later, a report by German publication Bild revealed the German army is preparing for a potential hybrid attack to be carried out by Russia on the eastern flank of NATO.
Given the founding principle of collective defence shared by members of the military alliance, an attack at the NATO border may well drag the West into a conflict with Russia.
But Russia isn’t the only player currently posing a threat to international security.
In recent months, North Korea and Russia have found common ground as they continue to antagonise the West.
Since the late summer of 2023, Pyongyang is believed to have been delivering ammunition to Russia to be used on the Ukrainian battlefield in exchange for military aid and missile technology to face its existential enemies – the US and South Korea.
Iran has also grown closer to North Korea and Russia following the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and is known to be delivering killer drones to Moscow.
Much like Moscow and Pyongyang, Tehran has been slapped with crippling Western sanctions over the years.
Iran, however, can also count on the support of three armed groups it supplies with weapons and resources to carry out proxy wars – the Houthi, Hamas and Hezbollah.
While the attention of the Hezbollah and Hamas terrorists is currently on Israel, the Yemeni Houthis have been waging war against commercial ships in the Red Sea since November – a move, they say, shows support to Palestinians in war-torn Gaza.
A major escalation in the Red Sea happened earlier this month when the UK and the US launched a series of targeted strikes at Houthi’s targets in Yemen in a bid to deter them from continuing with their actions. The strikes haven’t so far achieved the wanted result but have attracted condemnation from Iran.
While many hope World War 3 is still far from erupting, Taras Kuzio, Professor of Political Science at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy said to believe Russia and Iran already perceive themselves to be at war with the West.
Speaking during the ‘UK and Global Security: Scenario after the war between Russia and Ukraine’ conference, the expert said: “For them, World War 3 has already begun.”
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