Putin says it is up to Russia how to implement North Korea partnership

KAZAN, Russia (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin, asked about reports that North Korea had sent thousands of troops to Russia, said on Thursday that it was Moscow’s business how to implement a partnership treaty with Pyongyang.

Putin did not deny that North Korean troops were currently in Russia.

He said it was not Russia’s actions that had escalated the war in Ukraine, pointing to Western supplies of weapons to Kyiv.

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Writing by Alexander Marrow; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)