Putin hints at North Korean troop presence in Russia, defies U.S. warnings Russian President Vladimir Putin has neither confirmed nor denied recent U.S. allegations that North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to Russia, potentially for deployment in Ukraine. Speaking on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan on October 24, 2024, Putin remarked on Russia's cooperative relationship with North Korea, underscoring Moscow’s right to decide how it manages its alliances. “Russia never doubted that the DPRK is serious about our cooperation,” Putin stated when asked to respond to the U.S....