Kim Jong Un has arrived in Russia for an expected meeting with President Vladimir Putin that has fueled Western concerns that the North Korean leader will provide military support for Moscow’s w@r in Ukraine.
In a footage aired on Russian state media, Kim was seen disembarking from the luxury armored train on which leaders of the reclusive state usually travel. The trip, his first outside North Korea after three years of pandemic isolation, has drawn warnings of new sanctions from the United States as it sought to head off a potential arms deal.
The South Korean defense ministry said Kim was believed to have entered Russia early Tuesday. “We are closely monitoring if there will be negotiation between North Korea and Russia over the arms trade and technology transfer,” the ministry said in a briefing Tuesday, noting that Kim was accompanied by multiple senior arms industry and military officers.
Kim’s trip to Russia and meeting with Putin will be a full-scale visit to strengthen ties, according to the Kremlin spokesperson on Monday. “There will be negotiations between two delegations, and after that, if necessary, the leaders will continue their communication in a one-on-one format,” Dmitry Peskov said.
US officials believe Putin is likely to focus on securing more supplies of North Korean artillery and other ammunition as he attempts to defuse a Ukrainian counteroffensive. The U.S. government noted that they were closely following the meeting the two world leaders.
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