Reports of thousands of North Korean soldiers in Russia have been circulating for days. The USA is also worried. Now Putin reacted and referred to a new treaty with North Korea.
Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin has evasively answered questions about reports of thousands of North Korean soldiers in Russia, but does not see this as a problem. Russia has ratified a strategic partnership treaty with North Korea, the president said at a press conference in Kazan. There is a passage in it about mutual military assistance. “We have never doubted that the North Korean leadership takes our agreements seriously. What and how we will do within the framework of this article is our business,” Putin said.
Negotiations on the design of the article are still necessary, he said. It remains to be seen how this will develop. Putin responded to a question from a US journalist who pointed out satellite images of North Korean troop deployments. “The recordings are a serious matter. If there are images, then it means that they reflect something,” Putin said. It didn’t get any clearer.
Recently there has been speculation about whether Russia could use North Korean forces to support its war of aggression against Ukraine. The leadership in Kyiv in particular warned of further escalation.
Putin also said that the West has long been providing Kiev with more than just weapons and satellite information; Western states also deployed trainers and officers in Ukraine to support the country’s armed forces. Following Putin’s argument, Russia would also be entitled to seek help from other states.
