The U.S. slapped heavy sanctions on Russia after its Feb. 2022 invasion of Ukraine, including major blocks on the transactions of Russian financial institutions, banning U.S. imports of Russian energy products, and personal sanctions on Russian oligarchs in Putin's inner circle.

Representing 41.1% of the world’s population and 37.3% of its GDP, the bloc aims to counterbalance United States-led Western alliances.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping discussed the war in Ukraine and relations with the West at length on the first day of the BRICS summit, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

U KRAINE’S PRESIDENT, Volodymyr Zelensky, declared last week that North Korea is sending troops to Russia, in effect joining the invasion as a co-combatant. The appearance of one of the world’s most erratic and heavily-armed nations in the fight might test the best resourced and well-rested defences.

If North Korea were to send troops to Ukraine to fight on Russia's behalf it would significantly escalate the conflict, NATO Chief Mark Rutte said on social media platform X on Monday. Rutte, who took office at NATO at the start of the month,

It would be a "dangerous and highly concerning development" if North Korea was sending troops to help Russia in Ukraine, the United States said on Monday as South Korea and Britain warned of the high price Moscow would likely have to pay Pyongyang.