Quid Pro Quo: How Russia Makes Friends?

In late 2024, North Korea became the first country to openly support Moscow in its war effort by deploying its troops to the frontline alongside Russian forces. Meanwhile, other nations have been quietly assisting Moscow in various ways, from helping to circumvent sanctions and supplying dual-use goods to providing weapons, as in the case of Iran, and offering their territory to Russia to project power like Belarus has. What advantages do Russia’s allies hope to gain from their support, and how will it help them achieve their own foreign policy goals? What benefits do the countries sitting on the fence hope to reap? How does the sharing of military technology, intelligence, and resources impact their war-waging capabilities? How will support from Russia fuel conflicts globally?