For years, he was the tubby dictator mocked as 'The Little Rocket Man' due to his obsession with nuclear missiles: But now Kim Jong Un has moved us closer than ever to WW3 by sending soldiers to Ukrai

For many years, Kim Jong Un was roundly dismissed by many Western leaders as a serious threat to peace and stability on the world stage despite his sabre-rattling rhetoric and promises of nuclear confrontation. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, centre, walks around a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile in a state-produced video showcasing the power of Pyongyang's nuclear forces Since 2019, Kim has sought closer ties with the likes of Russia and China while ordering military scientists and his massive defence industry to embark on a campaign of rapid armament Putin and Kim clink glasses amid the former's visit to Pyongyang Test-firing of North Korea's Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile at Pyongyang International Airport Footage purportedly shows North Korean troops in Russia ahead of deployment to Ukraine North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter attend a photo session with the scientists, engineers, military officials and others involved in the test-fire of the country's new Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile The Ukrainian President has warned that North Korea's involvement could hasten the eruption of World War III As unthinkable as it seems now, there was a time not so long ago when the prospect of North Korea and the West breaking decades of mutual disdain in favour of rapprochement appeared somewhat legitimate. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, and U.S. President Donald Trump prepare to shake hands at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, June 30, 2019 This undated picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on September 16, 2017 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting a launching drill of the medium-and-long-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center left, walks around Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile with one of his military chiefs North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the National Defense University in Pyongyang, North Korea, October 7, 2024 South Korea's former president Moon Jae In revealed in his memoirs that in meetings with US and South Korean diplomats, Kim expressed upset at the 'global mistrust' of his nation and even considered embarking on a nuclear disarmament programme in exchange for sanctions relief and a better relationship with the West. A selection of state media photos showed Kim clad in all-black being briefed by scientists and a pair of military men while walking along long lines of tall grey tubes Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un meet in Pyongyang, June 19, 2024 A leaked video allegedly shows North Korean troops in Russia being kitted out with military equipment North Korean leader Kim Jong Un aims a weapon as he visits a training base In recent days, North Korea's standoff with the West ramped up to new levels. Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attend a state reception in Pyongyang, North Korea June 19, 2024 A new 600mm multiple rocket launcher is test-fired at an undisclosed location in North Korea Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, foreground right, attend the official welcome ceremony in the Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un ride an Aurus car in Pyongyang, North Korea in this image released by the Korean Central News Agency June 20 Zelensky, following a meeting with defence officials on Friday, said North Korean troops could be sent to fight Ukrainian troops as soon as this weekend.