Putin: It’s ‘our business’ if we want to deploy North Korean troops against Ukraine
Putin did not deny the presence of North Korean soldiers on Russian territory, but he did not say why they were there.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that it was Russia’s prerogative to deploy North Korean troops for the war in Ukraine.
Speaking to journalists at the final press conference of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, Putin said: “This is our sovereign decision. Whether we use it or not, where, how, or whether we engage in exercises, training, or transfer some experience. It’s our business.”
Putin’s comments mark the first time that the Russian president commented on the dispatch of the North Korean military to Russia. While he did not deny their presence on Russian territory, he did not specify why they were there.
When asked by an American journalist about reports of satellite images showing North Korean military presence in Russia, Putin joked: “Images are a serious thing. If there are pictures, then they reflect something.”
The United States and NATO said Wednesday they had evidence that North Korea had sent troops to Russia for possible deployment in Ukraine. Ukraine’s intelligence service confirmed later on Thursday it had recorded the troops in Russia’s Kursk region.
Pyongyang, however, denied these reports on Tuesday, describing them as “groundless rumors.”
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