China, Russia, Iran, North Korea cooperation tests Washington and allies
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Cooperation among China, Russia, Iran and North Korea is shifting from selective exchanges to an operational network that Washington views as complicating US security commitments in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. On August 11, a Russian strike using North Korean ballistic missiles killed at least six people in Ukraine, while Pyongyang test-fired another missile ahead of US-South Korean exercises. The group, increasingly called CRINK, remains short of a NATO-style alliance but allows each regime to offset strategic vulnerabilities.
CRINK Cooperation
China, Russia, Iran and North Korea draw on one another's resources, military capabilities and geopolitical leverage to withstand Western pressure, according to RFE/RL. David J. Kramer, executive director of the George W. Bush Institute and a former senior US diplomat, described the alignment as operational and selective, short of a NATO-style formal alliance. Washington policymakers increasingly view the four states, referred to as CRINK, as a flexible network in which members cooperate where interests overlap. The arrangement allows each regime to offset strategic vulnerabilities without binding commitments.
Ukraine Battlefield
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on August 11 that a Russian air strike using North Korean ballistic missiles killed at least six people and wounded almost two dozen others. Reports indicated a North Korean missile unit equipped with up to 120 ballistic missiles has begun deploying to western Russia. North Korea has dispatched troops to support Moscow's war effort, with estimates rising from an initial 12,000–15,000 to as many as 50,000 personnel. Iranian-designed Shahed drones were critical in Russia's early offensive after Moscow launched the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
China's Role
China's contribution remains less overtly kinetic but significant: Beijing has helped fund Russia's war through energy purchases and provided dual-use technology to Moscow. On August 11, Pyongyang test-fired another ballistic missile days ahead of major US-South Korean military exercises, prompting a joint response from the United States and 40 other nations. The test underscored dual security pressures facing Washington and its partners in both Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
What's Next
The United States and South Korea are set to begin major military exercises in the coming days, with North Korea likely to respond. It remains unclear whether CRINK's selective cooperation will deepen into formal military commitments or remain a flexible network shaped by overlapping interests.
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China, Russia, Iran, North Korea cooperation tests Washington and allies
