Putin in North Korea: Russian leader meets Kim Jong Un and summit talks begin

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged his full support for Russia’s war in Ukraine as he began a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.

Putin’s visit to Pyongyang comes amid growing concerns on an arms deal in which North Korea supplies Russia with much-needed munitions to fuel Moscow’s capabilities war in Ukrainein exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that could increase the threat posed by Kim’s nuclear weapons and missile program.

Kim was quoted by Russian news agencies as pledging his country’s “full support and solidarity to the Russian government, army and people in carrying out the special military operation in Ukraine aimed at protecting sovereignty, security interests and territorial integrity.

It was not yet clear what support from North Korea might look like.

He also praised Russia’s “important role and mission in preserving strategic stability and balance in the world.”

“The situation in the world is worsening and changing rapidly,” Kim said. “In this situation, we intend to strengthen strategic interaction with Russia.”

THIS IS A LATEST UPDATE. Earlier AP story follows below.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would sign a deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to strengthen ties as the two met Wednesday in Pyongyang aimed at expand their economic and military cooperation and display a united front against Washington.

He also thanked North Korea for its strong support for the The Kremlin’s “policy” in Ukrainewhere it launched a full-scale invasion in 2022.

Speaking at the start of his talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The Russian leader said in remarks reported by the Tass and RIA Novosti news agencies that “the new fundamental document will form the basis of our long-term relations term”.

Putin’s visit comes amid growing concerns on an arms deal in which Pyongyang supplies Moscow with badly needed munitions to supply Russia war in Ukraine in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that could increase the threat posed by Kim’s nuclear weapons and missile program.

North Korea is subject to heavy economic sanctions from the UN Security Council over its nuclear weapons and missile programs, while Russia is also facing sanctions from the United States and its Western partners for its aggression in Ukraine.

North Korean state media described the meeting between the leaders as a historic event that demonstrated the “invincibility and durability” of the two nations’ friendship and unity. Huge crowds lined the streets to greet Putin’s motorcade ahead of the talks, chanting “Welcome Putin” and waving flowers and North Korean and Russian flags.

Putin, making his first trip to North Korea in 24 years, also hailed a “close friendship” between the two countries based on “equality and respect for mutual interests” and highlighted their “struggle against imperialist hegemonist policies of the United States and its allies. satellites against the Russian Federation.

“We greatly appreciate your constant and unwavering support for Russian policy, including in the Ukrainian direction,” Putin added.

Putin was greeted on his arrival Tuesday evening by Kim, who shook his hand, hugged him twice and accompanied him from the airport in a limousine in a huge motorcade that wound through the streets illuminated streets of the capital, where buildings were decorated with giant Russian flags. and portraits of Putin.

After spending the rest of the night at a state guest house, Putin attended a lavish welcome ceremony in the city’s main square, where Kim introduced key members of his leadership, including the minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Son Hui; Jo Yong Won, senior adviser and secretary of the ruling party; and the leader’s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong. Putin and Kim Jong Un then began summit talks accompanied by their senior officials, according to Russian media.

Putin is accompanied by several senior officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Denis Mantrurov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, according to his foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov. He said a number of documents would be signed during the visit, including possibly an agreement on a comprehensive strategic partnership.

U.S. and South Korean officials accuse the North of supplying Russia with artillery, missiles and other military equipment for use in Ukraine, possibly in exchange for key military technology and aid. Pyongyang and Moscow deny accusations of North Korean arms transfers, which allegedly violate several U.N. Security Council sanctions that Russia previously approved.

Alongside China, Russia has provided political cover for Kim’s continued efforts to expand his nuclear arsenal, repeatedly blocking U.S.-led efforts to impose new U.N. sanctions on the North over its weapons tests.

In March, a Russian veto at the UN ended monitoring of U.N. sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program, sparking Western accusations that Moscow is seeking to avoid oversight as it buys weapons from Pyongyang for use in Ukraine. U.S. and South Korean officials said they were 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 technology from Russia, although his more sensitive discussions with Putin are unlikely to be made public.

Even though Kim’s military nuclear program now includes intercontinental ballistic missiles in development that can potentially reach the U.S. mainland, he may need outside technological assistance to significantly advance his program. There are already possible signs that Russia is helping North Korea with technology related to space rockets and military reconnaissance satellites, which Kim has described as crucial to monitoring South Korea and enhancing the threat of its nuclear-capable missiles. nuclear.

In addition to sending military supplies to Russia to help Ukraine fight, the North may also seek to increase labor exports and other illicit activities to earn foreign currency, in defiance of sanctions. of the UN Security Council, according to a recent report from the Institute for National Security Strategy. , a think tank run by South Korea’s main spy agency. There will likely be discussions on expanding cooperation in agriculture, fishing and mining and promoting Russian tourism to North Korea, the institute said.

In Washington, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Putin’s visit to North Korea illustrates how Russia is trying, “out of desperation, to develop and strengthen its relations with countries that can provide it with what it needs to continue the war of aggression against which it began.” Ukraine.”

“North Korea supplies significant munitions to Russia…along with other weapons for use in Ukraine. Iran has provided weapons, including drones, that have been used against civilians and civilian infrastructure,” Blinken told reporters after a meeting with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg. Tuesday.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest level in years, as Kim attacks pace combined weapons tests and military exercises involving the United States, South Korea and Japan, escalating in a tit-for-tat cycle. The Koreas also engaged in Cold War-style psychological warfare, in which North Korea dropped tons of trash on the South with balloons and the South spread anti-North Korean propaganda with its speakers.