North Korea said on Friday any move to send its troops to assist Russia in its war in Ukraine would be in line with international law, although it stopped short of confirming that such a deployment had taken place.

Russian lawmakers have ratified a pact with North Korea envisioning mutual military assistance, a move that comes even as the U.S. confirmed the deployment of 3,000 North Korean troops to Russia.

North Korea's military has come under the spotlight after the United States joined South Korea and Ukraine this week to accuse Pyongyang of dispatching thousands of troops to Russia, potentially to ready them for combat in the Ukraine war.

North Korea's military has come under the spotlight after the United States joined South Korea and Ukraine this week to accuse Pyongyang of dispatching thousands of troops to Russia, potentially to ready them for combat in the Ukraine war.

The pact obliges Russia and North Korea to immediately provide military assistance using "all means" if either is attacked.

North Korea has been accused this week of sending thousands of troops to Russia, potentially to take part in the war in Ukraine, in a step that could bring the isolated country's first large-scale military deployment overseas since the Vietnam War.

The North’s nuclear forces have been the focus of global concern. But its conventional military is vast and empowered — even if it is hobbled by shortages, corruption and isolation.