The comments could be taken as a warning to Pyongyang, whose newfound involvement in the European conflict and aggressive posturing toward its southern neighbor threatens to implicate its Indo-Pacific ally in two geopolitical crises.
It is also likely to be unwelcome news in China, which has long been North Korea’s main ally but whose influence over the reclusive nuclear-armed state is being eroded by leader Kim Jong Un’s growing relationship with President Vladimir Putin.
North Korea — with whom Russia signed a mutual defence pact — is already widely believed to be arming Moscow for its invasion but troops on the ground would mark a new escalation in the conflict.
During the closing session of the summit, Putin was asked about the recent reports and satellite photographs of North Korean troops on ships in Vladivostok, Russia.
