North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is reportedly preparing to travel to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin later this month.
A US official informed CBS about this anticipated meeting, during which discussions will reportedly revolve around the possibility of North Korea supplying weapons to support Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.
The specific location for the meeting remains unclear, and there has been no immediate response or confirmation from either North Korea or Russia regarding this report.
Sources suggest that Kim Jong Un is likely to travel to Russia by armored train.
This meeting comes after the White House announced that arms negotiations between North Korea and Russia were “actively advancing.”
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby revealed that Russia’s Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, had visited North Korea recently to persuade Pyongyang to provide artillery ammunition.
Weapons displayed during the visit included the Hwasong intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), believed to be North Korea’s first ICBM using solid propellants.
Also Read: US Warns North Korea Against Selling Munitions To Russia Amid Rising Tensions
Putin and Kim have exchanged letters “pledging to increase their bilateral cooperation,” according to Kirby. However, the United States has urged North Korea to cease arms negotiations with Russia and adhere to its public commitments not to provide or sell arms to Russia.
Kirby warned that the US would take action, including imposing sanctions, if North Korea supplied weapons to Russia.
There are concerns in both Washington and Seoul about the potential terms of such a deal, which could lead to increased military cooperation between North Korea and Russia in Asia.
Another worry is that Russia might supply advanced weapons technology or knowledge to North Korea, which could aid the latter in advancing its nuclear weapons program.
However, a potential deal could be more transactional in nature. Russia requires weapons, while North Korea, subjected to sanctions, is in need of financial resources and food.
The New York Times reported that the meeting between Kim and Putin might occur in Vladivostok, a port city on Russia’s east coast.
An advance team of North Korean officials reportedly traveled to Vladivostok and Moscow late last month, including security officers responsible for leadership travel protocols.
Both Pyongyang and Moscow have previously denied North Korea’s involvement in supplying arms to Russia for use in Ukraine.
John Everard, the former UK ambassador to North Korea, noted that the publicity surrounding the proposed visit might lead to its cancellation. Kim Jong Un is known for his extreme caution regarding personal security and tends to keep his movements secret.
This potential meeting marks a significant development in the context of North Korea’s foreign relations and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The two leaders last met in April 2019 when Kim Jong Un arrived in Vladivostok by train. After the meeting, Putin emphasized that Kim would require “security guarantees” to consider denuclearization, following the failed summit in Vietnam between Kim and then-US President Donald Trump.
