Russia North Korea: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will visit Russia, where he is likely to meet President Vladimir Putin. Both North Korea and Russia confirmed this. This has increased concerns among Western countries about Russia’s possible arms deal in the ongoing war in Ukraine. A brief statement on the website of the Kremlin, the presidential office of Russia, said that Kim will visit at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin and that the visit will take place in the coming days. North Korea’s official news agency ‘KCNA’ has also given news about the visit, in which it has been said that Kim Jong Un will meet Putin. However, the agency has not given information about when and where this meeting will take place.
Kim Jong can meet President Putin
The agency said, Honorable Comrade Kim Jong Un will meet and hold talks with Comrade Putin during his visit. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that delegations from both countries will meet. However, he did not confirm the plan for a bilateral session between Putin and Kim. He said that if necessary the two leaders will meet. This will be Kim’s first foreign trip since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Associated Press journalists spotted a green train with yellow stripes at a station near the North Korea-Russia border, similar to one used during Kim Jong Un’s previous trips abroad. However, it is not clear whether Kim was in the train or not.
Kim Jong Hui leaves by special train!
Earlier, reports in South Korean media said that a train from North Korea has probably left for Russia carrying North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, where he can meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. The newspaper ‘Chosun Ilbo’, quoting unnamed sources of the South Korean government, has reported that the train probably left North Korea’s capital Pyongyang on Sunday evening and a meeting between Kim and Putin is possible by Tuesday. ‘Yonhap’ news agency and some other media organizations have also published similar news. Japan’s ‘Kyodo’ news agency, citing Russian officials, has reported that Kim is probably going to Russia by private train.
May meet in Vladivostok city
South Korea’s Presidential Office, Defense Ministry and National Security Service did not immediately confirm this information. US officials released intelligence last week that North Korea and Russia were arranging a meeting between their leaders, which could take place this month. According to Russian news agency ‘Tass’, the likely venue of the meeting is Vladivostok, a city in eastern Russia, where Putin arrived on Monday to attend an international event lasting till Wednesday. In the year 2019, Putin met Kim for the first time at this place.
North Korea can supply cannon and ammunition
According to US officials, Putin may focus on acquiring more supplies of North Korean guns and other ammunition to replenish the depleted arms stockpile. Officials said he wanted to defuse Ukraine’s counterattacks and show he was capable of waging a protracted war. If this happens, there may be more pressure on the US and its partners to take the talks forward because despite sending huge consignments of advanced weapons to Ukraine in the last 17 months, there are no signs of ending the long conflict. Analysts say North Korea probably has millions of artillery shells and rockets based on Soviet designs, which are likely to help the Russian military.