Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin this week announced a temporary ceasefire for the war in Ukraine.

His efforts to ingratiate himself with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin have brought the war no closer to an end.

First, Vladimir Putin declared a 30-hour cessation of hostilities over Easter, portraying it as a "humanitarian" gesture.

In a statement it said Putin declared the ceasefire "based on humanitarian considerations" for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two.

Reports that North Korean soldiers had been deployed emerged in October, following the deepening of bilateral ties between Kim and Putin.