Seoul, South Korea. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met Wednesday in Pyongyang as they seek to expand their economic and military cooperation and show a united front against Washington.
Putin was greeted upon his arrival in the evening by Kim, who shook his hand, hugged him twice and escorted him from the airport in a limousine in a huge motorcade that drove through the capital’s brightly lit streets, where the buildings were decorated with gigantic Russian flags and Portraits of Putin.
After spending the rest of the night at a state guesthouse, Putin attended an official welcome ceremony in the city’s main square before beginning his summit talks with Kim, according to Russian media.
North Korean state media described the meeting between the leaders as a historic event that demonstrates the “invincibility and durability” of the two nations’ friendship and unity.
Putin, who was making his first trip to North Korea in 24 years, was quoted in official media before his arrival as saying the two countries We want to cooperate closely to overcome US-led sanctions and actively develop their partnership. He also said he appreciated North Korea’s strong support for his military actions in Ukraine. The Kremlin launched a full-scale invasion of the neighboring country in 2022.
Putin’s visit comes amidst growing concerns over an arms deal in which Pyongyang provides Moscow with much-needed ammunition to fuel Russia’s war war in ukraine in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that would increase the threat posed by Kim’s nuclear weapons and missile program.
North Korea is under heavy economic sanctions from the UN Security Council for its nuclear weapons and missile programs, while Russia is also dealing with sanctions from the United States and its Western partners for its aggression in Ukraine.
Putin is accompanied by several senior officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Denis Mantrurov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, according to his foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov. He said a number of documents will be signed during the visit, possibly including an agreement on a comprehensive strategic partnership.
U.S. and South Korean officials accuse North Korea of providing Russia with artillery, missiles and other military equipment for use in Ukraine, possibly in exchange for aid and key military technologies. Both Pyongyang and Moscow deny allegations of North Korean arms transfers, which would violate multiple U.N. Security Council sanctions that Russia previously backed.
Along with China, Russia has provided political cover for Kim’s continued efforts to upgrade his nuclear arsenal, repeatedly blocking U.S.-led efforts to impose new U.N. sanctions on North Korea for its weapons tests.
In March, a Russian veto at the United Nations ended monitoring U.N. sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program, prompting Western accusations that Moscow is trying to avoid scrutiny while buying weapons from Pyongyang for use in Ukraine. U.S. and South Korean officials have said they are discussing options for a new mechanism to monitor the North.
South Korean analysts say Kim will likely seek greater economic benefits and more advanced military technologies from Russia, although his more sensitive talks with Putin are unlikely to become public.
While Kim’s military nuclear program now includes intercontinental ballistic missiles under development that can potentially reach the continental United States, he may need outside technological help to significantly advance his program. There are already possible signs that Russia is helping North Korea with technologies related to space rockets and military reconnaissance satellites, which Kim has described as crucial to monitoring South Korea and increasing the threat from its nuclear-capable missiles.
In addition to sending military supplies to Russia to help its war-torn Ukraine, the North may also try to increase labor exports and other illicit activities to earn foreign currency, defying UN Security Council sanctions, according to a recent report. of the Institute for National Security Strategy. , a think tank run by South Korea’s top spy agency. There will likely be talks about expanding cooperation in agriculture, fishing and mining and further promoting Russian tourism to North Korea, the institute said.
In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Putin’s visit to North Korea illustrates how Russia is “desperately trying to develop and strengthen relationships with countries that can provide it with what it needs to continue the war of aggression it started.” against Ukraine.”
“North Korea is providing significant ammunition to Russia… and other weapons for use in Ukraine. “Iran has been providing weaponry, including drones, that have been used against civilians and civilian infrastructure,” Blinken told reporters after a meeting with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest in years, and the pace of Kim’s two elections weapons tests and combined military exercises Tensions between the United States, South Korea and Japan escalate in a tit-for-tat cycle. The two Koreas have also engaged in Cold War-style psychological warfare, with North Korea dropping tons of garbage on the South with balloons and the South broadcasting anti-North Korean propaganda with its loudspeakers.
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