North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in Russia for discussions with President Vladimir Putin, as Washington cautions against a potential arms deal between the two nations.
Kim’s journey from Pyongyang to Russia occurred aboard his private train and was confirmed by North Korea’s state media on Tuesday. He was accompanied by top officials from the arms industry, military, and the foreign minister.
Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported that Kim’s train had reached Khasan station, the primary rail entry point to Russia’s Far East from North Korea, according to an unnamed Russian official source.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry spokesman stated that they believe Kim entered Russia early Tuesday.
Kim’s foreign travels have been infrequent, with just seven trips abroad during his 12 years in power. Four of those journeys were to China, North Korea’s main political ally.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the visit as a “full-fledged visit,” indicating that it would involve negotiations between delegations, followed by potential one-on-one discussions between Kim and Putin.
Officials in Khasan declined to comment on Kim’s reported arrival.
U.S. officials initially stated that arms discussions between Russia and North Korea were progressing, with a focus on supplying weapons to support Russia in the Ukraine conflict.
Putin had arrived in Vladivostok on Monday, and he is slated to attend the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum, which runs until Wednesday.
Peskov mentioned that any meeting with Kim would occur after the forum, and there are no plans for a joint news conference.
Although the precise location of the meeting and Kim’s attendance at the economic forum remain unconfirmed, Pyongyang and Moscow have denied that North Korea would provide arms to Russia, which has faced extensive weapon usage during the Ukraine conflict.
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Washington and its allies have expressed concerns about heightened military cooperation between Russia and nuclear-armed North Korea. This marks Kim’s second summit with Putin; they previously met in 2019.
Peskov emphasized that Russia’s national interests would dictate its policies, regardless of warnings from Washington.
The North Korean delegation includes significant figures in the party responsible for defense industry and military affairs, suggesting that the visit will emphasize defense industry cooperation.
Experts anticipate that this visit could lead to agreements related to munitions purchases between North Korea and Russia. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin stated that military cooperation would violate Security Council resolutions.
Washington has reissued warnings to North Korea not to provide arms to Russia for use in the Ukraine war, emphasizing that any arms transfer would breach U.N. Security Council resolutions that prohibit such transactions.
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North Korea has been among the few countries openly supporting Russia since the Ukraine invasion, and Putin recently pledged to enhance bilateral ties between the two nations in multiple aspects.
Notably, Kim hosted a personal tour of an arms exhibition for Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during his visit to Pyongyang in July, which included watching a military parade featuring prohibited ballistic missiles.
Russia, along with China, previously supported Security Council resolutions imposing penalties on North Korea for ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests as late as 2017.