August 12, 2025

The Axis of Upheaval's Emerging Military Cooperation

One of the most transformative geopolitical developments in recent years has been the increasing alignment among Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.  Accelerated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the deepening economic, military, and technological ties among these four countries have resulted in a new Axis of Upheaval—united by shared opposition to a U.S.-led global order.

On July 30, CNAS hosted a virtual panel discussing the new report, The Axis of Upheaval: Gauging the Growing Military Cooperation Among Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. The panel featured:

Richard Fontaine, chief executive officer at CNAS

Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and director of the transatlantic security program at CNAS

Karim Sadjadpour, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The event was moderated by David McKenzie, director of communications at CNAS

Read the report!

Transatlantic Security

The Axis of Upheaval

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was a critical catalyst for cooperation among Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea—what the authors call the “axis of upheaval....

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