North Korean troops in Russia would be sign of Putin’s ‘desperation’, says UK

Defence Secretary John Healey (left) and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius speaking at a press conference after signing a new UK-Germany Defence Agreement at Trinity House in London (Jordan Pettitt/PA) - (PA Wire)

The likely presence of North Korean troops in Russia is a sign of President Vladimir Putin’s “desperation” and could trigger a wider global conflict, the UK and German defence ministers warned.

Defence Secretary John Healey said it was “highly likely” there were North Korean troops in Russia but it was not yet clear whether they were being sent to the front line of the war with Ukraine.