North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrives in Russia
A meeting between North Korea's ruler Kim and Kremlin chief Putin is apparently imminent: Kim arrived in Russia by train. According to the Kremlin, the conversation should also cover “sensitive topics”.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s train has reached Russia. This was confirmed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Russian and South Korean media had previously reported that the train with Kim on board had crossed the Russian border.
Kim wants to meet President Vladimir Putin in Russia. Peskov said the meeting would take place in the country’s Far East “in the coming days.” In addition to a one-on-one meeting between the two heads of state and discussions between the delegations, there will also be an official dinner. However, a press conference is not planned.
The Kremlin spokesman did not announce where and when exactly Kim and Putin would meet. There was speculation that this could happen at an economic forum in Russia’s Far Eastern metropolis of Vladivostok. The forum lasts until Wednesday.
Conversations also about “sensitive topics”
The talks should focus on cooperation between the two countries in various areas, but also on the situation in the region and international issues, Peskov said. “Sensitive topics” should also be negotiated without paying attention to “warnings” from the USA. “Of course, both countries – as is usual for neighboring countries – also work together in sensitive areas,” the Tass news agency quoted the spokesman as saying. “But these should neither be disclosed nor advertised.”
As Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said, according to information from the Interfax agency, the South Korean government will also be informed about the outcome of the meeting if this is desired. “If the South Korean Embassy in Moscow requests this, we will provide the available information.”
Observers assume arms deals
After days of speculation abroad, Moscow and Pyongyang only confirmed Kim’s “official visit” to Russia on Monday. The USA suspects that it will primarily be about arms deals between Russia and the strictly isolated North Korea. “Any transfer of weapons from North Korea to Russia would be a violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions,” warned US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. The country reserves the right to impose further sanctions.
According to observers, North Korea may have tens of millions of Soviet-designed artillery shells and rockets, which would greatly help the Russian army in the fight against Ukrainian troops.
In return, North Korea could receive much-needed energy and food aid as well as advanced weapons technologies, including those for intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear-capable submarines and military reconnaissance satellites. That possibility raised fears that such Russian shipments increase the threat from North Korea’s growing arsenal, which targets the United States, South Korea and Japan.
After decades of a complicated relationship between Russia and North Korea in which tensions arose, the two countries have come closer to each other since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Putin needs help in his war, while Kim wants to end North Korea’s diplomatic isolation and lead it into a united front against Washington. North Korea has repeatedly blamed the United States for the war in Ukraine and described the Russian offensive as an act of self-defense.
