This is John Batchelor, an excerpt from a conversation with David Maxwell from the

Foundation for the Defense of Democracy about Kim Jong-un and threats from Pyongyang

from North Korea. Recently Kim Jong-un has been much in the news because of selling

weapons, missiles, and artillery shells to Russia. The question here is, is Kim part of the axis of

resistance because he's a supplier? Is Kim eager to go ahead and fight a war with

South Korea? He said most recently that he no longer

believes in reuniting the peninsula. He believes that South Korea is his

number one enemy. It sounds like talk, but is it talk with a purpose?

The question here is, does Moscow need, does Beijing need,

Kim to start a border war, a regional provocation in some fashion.

David Maxwell has a lengthy answer that's very careful about the possibilities

separating Beijing and Moscow.

Is David Maxwell Foundation for the Defense of Democracy.

Well, I think a proxy war in Korea is not a proxy war, it will be a world war.

If there's war on the Korean Peninsula, I think that's what you must understand.

And your opening premise in your question, North Korea is connected throughout the world.

You know, it is supporting Hamas. It is providing support to Russia.

It is providing missile technology. providing support to Russia.

It is providing missile technology to Iran.

It is providing weapons to conflict areas

throughout Africa and the Middle East.

And so, and I think that this axis of authoritarians China, Russia,

...