North Korea's Kim Jong-un has reportedly denied Russian President Vladimir Putin help with his invasion of Ukraine, telling him that Russia is "too insane".
The accusation comes as Russia's invasion of Ukraine reached a halt, with reports of an outraged Vladimir Putin considering resorting to 'plan B' - non-conventional weapons.
Russia claims to have secured the entire Kherson Oblast region after first taking hold of the city two weeks ago, The Mirror reports.
However, Ukrainian defenders remain defiant and continue to score victories on the ground.
It comes as a further 370 Russian individuals have been hit by sanctions, the UK Government has announced.
Reports have emerged showing Russia has lost up to 13,500 troops in the conflict, along with a host of hardware assets.
The position has forced Moscow to reach out to its friends abroad.
Russia has allegedly asked China for financial and military assistance in the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to reports.
But China has refuted this is the case, with a Chinese Embassy spokesman in the US stating it was “news to [him]."
Russia calling on North Korea for help should come as no surprise, with Pyongyang having historically been a key ally of Moscow through its historical ties with the Communist era of the soviet union.
Kim was quick to deny Putin assistance, according to XSoviet-News author Sarah Hurst.
Posting on Twitter she claimed: “Russia reportedly asked North Korea for help with its failing invasion.
“North Korea responded, 'You are too insane for us'."
Reports of this nature have not been verified by other sources.
Despite the lack of active help, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has previously publicly backed President Vladimir Putin over his actions in Ukraine.
In its first official statement on Russia's attack, the Foreign Ministry said that the West was guilty of "abuse of power".
North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations said the US and its allies are the root cause for the crisis in Ukraine, having ignored Russia’s "reasonable and just" demands for security.
Kim Song, the North Korean diplomat, criticised the "hegemonic policy" of the US and the West that he said threatens the security and territorial integrity of sovereign nations.
Speaking at a UN General Assembly meeting, Kim said: "The greatest danger the world faces now is high-handedness and arbitrariness by the United States and its followers that are shaking international peace and stability."
The Soviet-era allies share an 11-mile-long border and are both strongly motivated by anti-West and anti-NATO sentiments.
The last missile launch was on February 27 when North Korea said it tested systems for a reconnaissance satellite.
North Korea's ballistic missile launches are banned by United Nations Security Council resolutions, which have imposed sanctions on the country over its weapons programmes.
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