MOSCOW: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that his country offers its \u201cfull and unconditional support\u201d for Russia\u2019s \u201csacred fight\u201d to defend its security interests, in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine, and said Pyongyang will always stand with Moscow on the \u201canti-imperialist\u201d front.
\nKim also called North Korea\u2019s relations with Russia \u201cthe first priority.\u201d
\nThe leaders met at a remote Siberian rocket launch facility for a summit that underscores how their interests are aligning in the face of their countries\u2019 separate, intensifying confrontations with the United States.
\nPutin in his opening remarks welcomed Kim to Russia and said he was glad to see him. Putin listed economic cooperation, humanitarian issues and the \u201csituation in the region\u201d among the agenda items for their talks.
\nThe two men began their meeting at the Vostochny cosmodrome with a tour of a Soyuz-2 space rocket launch facility, at which Kim peppered a Russian space official with questions about the rockets.
\nThe meeting came hours after North Korea fired two ballistic missiles toward the sea, extending a highly provocative run in North Korean weapons testing since the start of 2022, as Kim used the distraction caused by Putin\u2019s war on Ukraine to accelerate his weapons development.
\nSouth Korea\u2019s Joint Chiefs of Staff didn\u2019t immediately say how far the North Korean missiles flew. Japan\u2019s Coast Guard, citing Tokyo\u2019s Defense Ministry, said the missiles have likely already landed but still urged vessels to watch for falling objects.
\nThe decision to meet at Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia\u2019s most important domestic satellite launch facility, suggests that Kim is seeking Russian technical assistance for his efforts to develop military reconnaissance satellites, which he has described as crucial in enhancing the threat of his nuclear-capable missiles. In recent months, North Korea has repeatedly failed to put its first military spy satellite into orbit.
\nOfficial photos showed that Kim was accompanied by Pak Thae Song, chairman of North Korea\u2019s space science and technology committee, and navy Adm. Kim Myong Sik, who are linked with North Korean efforts to acquire spy satellites and nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarines, according to South Korea\u2019s Unification Ministry.
\nAsked whether Russia will help North Korea build satellites, Putin was quoted by Russian state media as saying \u201cthat\u2019s why we have come here. The DPRK leader shows keen interest in rocket technology. They\u2019re trying to develop space, too,\u201d using the abbreviation for North Korea\u2019s formal name, the Democratic People\u2019s Republic of Korea. Asked about military cooperation, Putin said \u201cwe will talk about all issues without a rush. There is time.\u201d
\nPutin welcomed Kim\u2019s limousine, brought from Pyongyang in the North Korean leader\u2019s special armored train, at the entrance to the launch facility with a handshake that lasted around 40 seconds. Putin said he was \u201cvery glad to see\u201d Kim. Kim\u2019s translator thanked Putin for the warm welcome, \u201cdespite being busy.\u201d
\nFor Putin, the meeting with Kim is an opportunity to refill ammunition stores that the 18-month-old war has drained. North Korea may have tens of millions of aging artillery shells and rockets based on Soviet designs that could give a huge boost to the Russian army in Ukraine, analysts say.
\nKim also brought Jo Chun Ryong, a ruling party official in charge of munitions policies who joined him on recent tours of factories producing artillery shells and missile, according to South Korea.
\nKim said his decision to visit Russia four years after his previous visit showed how Pyongyang is \u201cprioritizing the strategic importance\u201d of its relations with Moscow, North Korea\u2019s official news agency said Wednesday.
\nKim is expected to seek economic aid as well as military technology. Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said Russia may discuss humanitarian aid with the North Korean delegation, according to Russian news agencies.
\nAn arms deal would violate international sanctions that Russia supported in the past.
\nLim Soo-suk, South Korea\u2019s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said Seoul was maintaining communication with Moscow while closely monitoring Kim\u2019s visit.
\n\u201cNo UN member state should violate Security Council sanctions against North Korea by engaging in an illegal trade of arms, and must certainly not engage in military cooperation with North Korea that undermines the peace and stability of the international community,\u201d Lim said at a briefing.
\nThe United States has accused North Korea of providing Russia with arms, including selling artillery shells to the Russian mercenary group Wagner. Both Russian and North Korean officials denied such claims.
\nSpeculation about their military cooperation grew after Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, visited North Korea in July. Kim subsequently toured his weapons factories, which experts said had the dual goal of encouraging the modernization of North Korean weaponry and examining artillery and other supplies that could be exported to Russia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MOSCOW: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that his country offers its \u201cfull and unconditional support\u201d for Russia\u2019s \u201csacred fight\u201d to defend its security interests, in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine, and said Pyongyang will always stand with Moscow on the \u201canti-imperialist\u201d front. Kim also […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":355671,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-355666","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n