The Russian president's statement comes amid growing concerns about North Korean soldiers' possible participation in the Ukraine conflict. For the first time, Vladimir Putin has confirmed that he is in talks with Kim Jong-un about the possible deployment of North Korean forces to confront Ukrainian troops. This disclosure follows the BRICS summit in Russia, which did not meet the Kremlin's expectations for expanding the anti-Western coalition.
Moscow aimed to showcase its influence by adding at least 12 new members to the BRICS alliance in a "Brics Big Bang." However, the summit did not yield the expected results, and during a press conference, Putin refrained from specifying how many countries had joined.
"There are many countries showing interest. We have identified our partners and have a list ready," he stated. "We will send invitations and proposals to prospective partner nations."
Putin's comments followed the passage of a Russia-North Korea "mutual military assistance" bill by Russia’s lower house of parliament on Thursday. The agreement between Putin and Kim, made earlier this year, is anticipated to be ratified by the upper house in the coming days, potentially allowing North Korean soldiers to engage in combat against Ukrainian forces.
During the BRICS conference, Putin stated, "North Korea is serious about its commitment to us... We are in contact with our North Korean partners." According to U.S. intelligence estimates, Russian forces are currently training as many as 3,000 North Korean soldiers, although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested that the number could rise to 15,000.
In light of these developments, South Korea is reportedly considering deploying military officers to Ukraine as advisers. The Kremlin has also connected the BRICS economic summit to its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, with one of Putin's top aides mentioning that the war was discussed informally among BRICS leaders.
Despite this connection, a brief statement in the summit’s communique indicated that the 35 participating countries aim for "a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy." Analysts have suggested that the Kremlin's emphasis on linking Brics with the Ukraine conflict may have deterred potential new members from joining.
A Kazakh expert noted that Kazakhstan opted not to join Brics out of concern for its relations with the West, stating, "Russia wants Brics to represent an anti-Western bloc, which is not in Kazakhstan's interest. It prefers to work through the UN." The Kremlin has been pressuring its allies throughout the year to support Brics to weaken international backing for Ukraine.
Brics was originally formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and was expanded in January to include five additional members, including Iran. Putin had also aimed to secure commitments from Brics members to develop an alternative to the Swift international payment system, which excluded Russia following its invasion of Ukraine; however, this goal also failed to materialize.
Despite the apparent shortcomings of the summit, Kremlin propaganda channels portrayed it as a significant success for Putin. Coverage of a roundtable event highlighted the meetings between UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and various world leaders, including Putin, Xi Jinping of China, and Narendra Modi of India.
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