2023-09-13 04:39:25
According to Washington, this meeting might lead to an arms sale agreement to support the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un have arrived at the Vostochny cosmodrome in eastern Russia, Russian news agencies announced on Wednesday. In the process, Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would help North Korea build satellites, once more according to Russian agencies. Asked regarding the possibility that military cooperation would be mentioned during their discussions, Vladimir Putin indicated that he would discuss “all subjects” with Kim Jong-un. The two men then visited a rocket assembly and launch site, the Kremlin said.
The meeting between the two leaders might lead, according to Washington, to an arms sale agreement to support the Russian offensive in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-Un must in particular talk regarding “sensitive subjects”, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov.
Arriving in Russia on Tuesday evening, Kim Jong-un is making his first trip abroad since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. He had already met Vladimir Putin during his previous trip abroad, to Vladivostok in 2019. The place and date of their meeting, this Wednesday, only leaked very recently, in the last hours.
“The important thing for us is the interest of our countries”
Washington fears that Russia will obtain weapons for its military operations in Ukraine from North Korea, itself under sanctions because of its nuclear and missile development programs.
“In building our relations with our neighbors, including North Korea, the important thing for us is the interests of our countries and not the warnings from Washington,” launched Dmitri Peskov.
Kim Jong-un is accompanied by senior military officials, including his defense minister and executives from the arms production apparatus and the space technology sector, according to official media.
According to experts, the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un might focus on an agreement in the field of arms, because Vladimir Putin would seek to acquire shells and anti-tank missiles.
For Paris, this trip illustrates the isolation of Moscow
For Siemon T. Wezeman of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, “it is entirely credible that North Korea has significant stocks of munitions compatible with the artillery systems used by Russian forces.” Such an agreement would constitute “an unequivocal violation” of UN resolutions sanctioning North Korea, said the expert.
For its part, Pyongyang is reportedly seeking cutting-edge technology for nuclear-powered satellites and submarines, as well as food aid. Washington derided this meeting, seeing it as a sign that Vladimir Putin is “begging” for help in carrying out his operations in Ukraine. For Paris, Kim Jong-un’s current trip is the visible “mark” of Moscow’s isolation.
“Displomatic blackmail” once morest South Korea
Russia and North Korea have historical ties and Kim Jong-un has repeatedly expressed support for the Russians in their offensive in Ukraine. For Andrei Lankov of Kookmin University in Seoul, a Putin-Kim summit is part of Moscow’s “friendly diplomatic blackmail” once morest Seoul, because Russia wants to dissuade the South Koreans from supplying military equipment to Ukraine .
South Korea is a major arms exporter. It has sold some to Poland, an ally of kyiv, but its policy is never to supply any to parties directly engaged in armed conflicts. The day before, Russian authorities had released images showing the North Korean number one received by a delegation and an honor guard at Khassan station, located near the border.
According to the governor of the Primorye region, Oleg Kojemiako, Kim Jong-un spoke during this stop with Russian Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Alexander Kozlov. “A visit of this level is a good message for the development (…) of direct contacts with our colleagues from North Korea,” commented Oleg Kojemiako on Telegram.
“Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived at the Vostochny cosmodrome,” Russian news agencies TASS, Interfax and RIA Novosti jointly reported. The Russian head of state had refused to communicate his on-site program in advance.
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