Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed criticism after reports that thousands of North Korean soldiers are training in Russia for the war in Ukraine.
Moscow has ratified a strategic partnership agreement with North Korea, the Russian president said at a news conference in Kazan on Thursday.
He said the agreement includes a clause on mutual military assistance. “We have never doubted that North Korean leaders take our agreements seriously. What we do and how we will do it on the basis of this article is our business,” Putin said.
Putin was responding to a question from an American journalist who pointed to satellite images of North Korean troop deployments. “The recordings are serious business. If there are photos, it means they reflect something,” Putin said. He didn’t work it out.
There has been recent speculation about whether Russia might deploy North Korean troops in support of its war of aggression against Ukraine. The leaders in Kiev in particular have warned against further escalation in this context.
Putin also said that the West has long been doing more than just supplying Kiev with weapons and satellite information; Western states are also sending trainers and officers to Ukraine to support the country’s armed forces.
According to Putin’s argument, Russia would therefore also have the right to seek help from other states.
