North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is reportedly planning to travel to Russia this month to meet with President Vladimir Putin. According to a US official who spoke to CBS, the two leaders will discuss the possibility of North Korea providing weapons to support Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.
The exact location of the meeting has not been confirmed, and there has been no immediate comment from North Korea or Russia regarding the report. Sources have suggested that Kim Jong Un is likely to travel by armoured train, similar to his previous visits to Russia.
The potential meeting comes after the White House announced that arms negotiations between North Korea and Russia were actively progressing. The US National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby, revealed that Russia’s Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, had recently visited North Korea and attempted to persuade Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Russia.
During the visit, weapons including the Hwasong intercontinental ballistic missile were displayed. This was the first time Kim Jong Un had opened the country’s doors to foreign guests since the Covid pandemic.
Following the visit, both Putin and Kim exchanged letters pledging to increase bilateral cooperation. However, the US has urged North Korea to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by 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 proceeded with supplying weapons to Russia.
There are concerns in Washington and Seoul about the potential outcomes of such a deal. It could lead to increased military cooperation between North Korea and Russia in Asia. South Korea’s intelligence service recently briefed that Sergei Shoigu had suggested joint naval drills involving Russia, China, and North Korea, similar to those conducted by the US, South Korea, and Japan.
Another concern is that Russia might supply advanced weapons technology or knowledge to North Korea, which could aid the country’s nuclear weapons program. However, it is possible that any deal between the two nations would be more transactional than strategic, with Russia needing weapons and North Korea requiring money and food due to sanctions.
The New York Times reported that the meeting between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin could take place in the port city of Vladivostok on Russia’s east coast. An advance team of North Korean officials, including security officers responsible for travel protocol, reportedly traveled to Vladivostok and Moscow last month, indicating the seriousness of the preparations.
Both Pyongyang and Moscow have previously denied allegations that North Korea is supplying arms to Russia for use in the Ukrainian conflict. However, some experts believe that the publicity surrounding the possible visit may make it unlikely to take place, as Kim Jong Un is known to be extremely concerned about his personal security.
The last meeting between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin took place in April 2019 when Kim arrived in Vladivostok by train. During the visit, Putin stated that Kim would require security guarantees to abandon his nuclear program. This meeting followed a failed summit between Kim and then-US President Donald Trump in Vietnam, which did not make progress on denuclearizing the Korean peninsula.