Kim Jong-un to meet Putin in Russia for talks over supplying weapons
Kim Jong-un will reportedly travel to Russia this month to meet Vladimir Putin and discuss the possibility of supplying weapons for the war in Ukraine.
The two leaders will discuss the possibility of North Korea providing Russia with weapons to support its war in Ukraine and other military cooperation, an official told the US TV network CBS.
Kim, who rarely leaves North Korea, is likely to travel from Pyongyang, probably by armoured train, to meet Putin in Vladivostok, on Russia’s Pacific coast, according to military intelligence first reported by the New York Times.
The Eastern Economic Forum is scheduled to run from 10 to 13 September on the campus of Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, which both leaders are due to attend. Kim also plans to visit Pier 33, where naval ships from Russia’s Pacific fleet dock.
Putin would like North Korea to supply artillery shells and antitank missiles. In return, Kim would like Russia to provide North Korea with technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, officials told the New York Times. Kim is also seeking food aid.
The planned trip comes as Russia discusses holding joint military exercises with North Korea and after the Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, visited the country to persuade Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Russia.
North Korea held a large defence expo earlier this year, at which Kim gave Shoigu a tour through a vast display of the country’s newest and most advanced weaponry, including ballistic missiles and spy drones.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Joe Biden did not respond when questioned about the developments.
The US has previously warned that North Korea could provide more weapons to Russia, whose forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022, a war that the US and its European allies vehemently oppose and which Moscow calls a “special military operation”.
The White House national security spokesperson, John Kirby, said last week that the US was concerned that arms negotiations between the two countries were advancing actively.
He said Russia’s defence minister had recently travelled to North Korea to “try to convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition” to Russia.