Russia’s Hub and Spokes: A New Axis Stemming from Russia’s War in Ukraine

With Russia's invasion of Ukraine stretching out far past its beginning phase, Russia has now reached out to other actors for assistance. Without a general mobilization, Russia cannot keep its current manpower in the field, so it has reached out to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for manpower and weapons. It has also reached out to China for weapons and munitions, most notably creating a drone lab within China to produce new types of drones for the frontline. These new diplomatic relations are seemingly forming Russia's diplomatic relations into a new hub and spokes type system, very reminiscent of the United States in Asia, creating a new, more decentralized threat which the US must be very cautious to interact with.