That "could serve Chinese interests if it helps prevent a Russian defeat and brings an end to the war that favors Moscow, but the presence of North Korean troops in Europe could fuel deeper European involvement in East Asian security, which Beijing opposes," Glaser told Newsweek.

This new development confirms that Russia’s proffered religious justification for war is mere subterfuge. It also strips away the veneer of theological cover invoked by the Moscow Patriarchate to justify its vociferous support for Russia’s “holy war.”