Vladimir Putin has been dealt a blow by two of his closest allies who have failed to endorse the sending of North Korean troops to fight for Russian forces against Ukraine. Experts are also casting doubt on the strategic worth of such a move by the Russian leader.

Russian President Vladimir Putin played coy about whether troops from North Korea were in Russia during a question and answer session after the conclusion of the BRICS Summit on Thursday. During the closing session of the summit,

At the BRICS summit in Kazan, top representatives of the BRICS states gathered to discuss international cooperation, with Russia's position and the ongoing war in Ukraine taking center stage. The European Union sharply criticized the summit,