North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia on Tuesday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, accompanied by top defence industry officials. This comes amid warnings from Washington against any arms trading between the two nations.
Kim Jong Un’s Russian Visit
Kim, who left Pyongyang for Russia on Sunday, was greeted by a military band upon his arrival. The North Korean leader, known for his infrequent trips abroad, was accompanied by top arms industry and military officials. The destination of these talks remains uncertain, as neither party has confirmed the location of these discussions.
While Russia has brushed off warnings against dealing arms with North Korea, a source familiar with the trip confirmed that Kim had arrived on Tuesday morning. He was met by Russian officials in Khasan, the main rail gateway to Russia’s Far East, before continuing his journey.
Russian President Putin was attending a conference in Vladivostok, Russia’s Pacific port, during Kim’s arrival. However, no meeting between the two leaders was confirmed.
Discussions and Warnings
Negotiations are expected to cover the potential launch of joint tourism and agricultural projects and deepen economic ties with Pyongyang. Other topics that could be discussed include humanitarian aid to North Korea and the U.N. Security Council resolutions imposed against Pyongyang.
However, U.S. officials warned that arms talks between Russia and North Korea were actively advancing and that Kim and Putin were likely to discuss providing Russia with weapons for the war in Ukraine. Pyongyang and Moscow have denied that North Korea could supply arms to Russia.
Closer Russia-North Korea Cooperation
Despite warnings from Washington and its allies, signs of closer military cooperation between Russia and the nuclear-armed North have increased. This will be Kim’s second summit with Putin, whom he met in 2019 on his last trip abroad.
Washington urged Pyongyang to abide by its promise not to sell arms to Russia that could be used in the Ukraine war, which would violate Security Council resolutions. Despite these warnings, North Korea is one of the few countries to have openly supported Russia over the Ukraine conflict. Putin pledged last week to “expand bilateral ties in all respects in a planned way by pooling efforts.”
In a striking display, Kim gave a personal tour of an arms exhibition to Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu during his visit to Pyongyang in July. Both Russia and China voted for Security Council resolutions as late as 2017 punishing Pyongyang for ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests.
Original Story at www.reuters.com – 2023-09-12 13:58:00
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