As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues and its weapons supply dwindles, it appears the country is seeking alternative ways of replenishing its arms stockpiles. Iran has reported a 40% increase in arms sales to foreign states, with Russia being a significant recipient. Russia has also been attempting to buy artillery from North Korea.

Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan breaks down changes in the global weapons trade and explains how Russia, North Korea and Iran are all finding themselves in evolving roles.

Excerpted from Peter’s May 13 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:

We’ve got some new players in the global weapons trade, and let’s just say that I prefer the old gun runners.

Traditional suppliers like France and the U.K. are still providing weapons to their allies, but Russia is now seeking out weapons for its conflict in Ukraine. This has enabled countries like Iran to emerge as sellers of advanced drones and leverage test data from a real war.

The impact of weapons like this on weaker states could be devastating. From destroying infrastructure to disrupting government functions, we could very well see the dynamics of low-level conflicts completely shift.