U.S. intelligence has assessed that the idea of (allegedly) sending North Korean troops to fight for Russia originated not with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. U.S. officials do not believe Kim has received anything immediate in return. Instead, they say, he appears to be hoping that Russia will repay the favor in the future by offering support in diplomatic fights, assisting if a crisis breaks out and providing technology, reported the New York Times, yesterday. The officials interviewed by the Times would not describe when, or how, the United States gathered the information on the discussions between the North Koreans and Russians. But they indicated that it was not immediately after the agreement was made or when the deployments began.