Kim Jong-un has arrived in Russia for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin Spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov confirmed Kim’s arrival.
Kim left Pyongyang aboard a bulletproof train late on Sunday, September 10, 2023, night.
The meeting is expected to be held on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, afternoon on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian port city of Vladivostok.
Putin has been at Vladivostok since Monday, September 11, 2023, for the Eastern Economic Forum, which will end on September 13, 2023.
Putin and Kim last met in 2019, in Russia’s far eastern city of Vladivostok, about 680km (425 miles) north of Pyongyang.
The anticipated meeting between Putin and Kim comes amid concerns in the West that Pyongyang plans to provide weapons to Moscow to replace stocks that have been heavily depleted during 18 months of fighting in Ukraine.
According to North Korea’s official news agency, Kim was accompanied by senior government officials, including military personnel.
The delegation is perceived to include his Foreign Minister, Choe Sun-hui, and prominent party members in charge of defence industry and military affairs, including munitions industry department Director, Jo Chun-ryong.
Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at the Washington-based Stimson Center, opined that “the presence of Jo Chun-ryong indicates that North Korea and Russia will conclude some type of agreement for munitions purchases.”
Meanwhile, the United States issued a warning on Monday, September 11, 2023, saying that it will hold any entities that help provide Russia with weapons for use in Ukraine “accountable”.
US State Department Spokesperson, Matthew Miller told reporters, “I will remind both countries that any transfer of arms from North Korea to Russia would be in violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions.”
“We, of course, have aggressively enforced our sanctions against entities that fund Russia’s war effort, and we will continue to enforce those sanctions and will not hesitate to impose new sanctions if appropriate.”
Matthew Miller
Miller described Putin as desperate over the Ukraine conflict.
“Having to travel across the length of his own country to meet with an international pariah to ask for assistance in a war that he expected to win in the opening month, I would characterise it as him begging for assistance.”
Matthew Miller
Russia Dismisses U.S’ Warning
However, Kremlin Spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov stated on Tuesday that Russia and North Korea have no interest in U.S statements after Washington warned against any trade in weapons between the two countries.
“Obviously, as neighbors, our countries also cooperate in sensitive areas that should not be the subject of public disclosure and announcements,” he said.
“As you know, while implementing our relations with our neighbours, including North Korea, the interests of our two countries are important to us, and not warnings from Washington,” Peskov said.
“It is the interests of our two countries that we will focus on,” he added
Meanwhile, South Korea disclosed that it is watching events in Russia, reiterating that any arms deals would breach sanctions imposed on North Korea over its nuclear weapons programme.
Lim Soo-suk, South Korea’s foreign ministry spokesman, stated, “Our government is closely monitoring trends related to the situation on the Korean peninsula, including human exchanges between Russia and North Korea.”
“No UN member country should violate Security Council resolutions on North Korean sanctions, which include illegal arms trades. In particular, military cooperation with North Korea, which harms international peace and stability, should absolutely not occur.”
Lim Soo-suk
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