Leaders of the BRICS alliance, led by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, have gathered in the Russian city of Kazan. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres is attending the summit. Its host, Russian President Vladimir Putin, said over 30 countries have expressed a desire to join BRICS this year.

As the summit opened, U.S. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin accused North Korea of deploying troops to Russia. He’s the first U.S. official to make the claim after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused North Korea of assisting Russia’s occupation of Ukraine. This follows a mutual defense pact signed by Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June.