North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, is reportedly planning a visit to Russia later this month for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, according to a US official who spoke to CBS, a partner of the BBC.
The purpose of their meeting is said to revolve around discussions concerning the potential supply of weapons from North Korea to support Russia’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
The precise location of the scheduled meeting remains undisclosed, and there has been no immediate response or confirmation from either North Korea or Russia in response to these reports. Anonymous sources cited by the New York Times suggest that Kim Jong Un may opt for travel by an armored train.
This development follows recent statements from the White House indicating progress in arms negotiations between North Korea and Russia. John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesman, revealed that during a recent visit to North Korea, Russia’s Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, attempted to persuade Pyongyang to provide artillery ammunition to Russia.
Notably, the meeting showcased various weapons, including the Hwasong intercontinental ballistic missile, believed to be North Korea’s first ICBM using solid propellants. This event marked the first time Kim Jong Un had welcomed foreign visitors since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Putin and Mr Kim have since exchanged letters “pledging to increase their bilateral co-operation”, he said.
“We urge the DPRK to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia,” Mr Kirby said, using an abbreviation for the North.
He cautioned that the US was prepared to take action, including the imposition of sanctions, should North Korea indeed provide weapons to Russia.
Both Washington and Seoul express concerns about the potential outcomes of such a deal, which could lead to increased military cooperation between these two Asian nations.
Recently, South Korea’s intelligence service shared information that Mr. Shoigu had proposed the idea of joint naval exercises involving Russia, China, and North Korea, akin to those conducted by the US, South Korea, and Japan.
Another worry is the possibility of Russia supplying North Korea with weapons at a critical juncture when Pyongyang might be in dire need of them.
Furthermore, there’s apprehension that Kim Jong Un may request advanced weapons technology or expertise from Mr. Putin to facilitate advancements in his nuclear weapons program.
Nevertheless, the agreement could be more transactional in nature than a long-term strategic partnership. Currently, Russia requires weapons, while North Korea, grappling with sanctions, faces pressing financial and food shortages.
According to reports from The New York Times, the meeting between Mr. Kim and Mr. Putin could potentially occur in Vladivostok, a port city on Russia’s eastern coast. The newspaper’s diplomatic correspondent, Edward Wong, informed the BBC News channel that an advance team of North Korean officials had traveled to Vladivostok and Moscow in the previous month.
They “included security officers who deal with the protocol surrounding the travel of the leadership, so that was a strong sign for officials looking at this”, Mr Wong said.
Pyongyang and Moscow have both previously denied that the North is supplying Russia with arms for use in its war in Ukraine.
John Everard, who served as UK ambassador to North Korea between 2006 and 2008, told the BBC that publicity around the possible visit was a “strong reason why the visit is now unlikely to take place”.
“Kim Jong Un is completely paranoid about his personal security. He goes to great lengths to keep his movements secret and if it’s known that he’s planning to go to Vladivostok to meet President Putin, he’s likely just to cancel the whole thing,” he said.
Pyongyang knows that Moscow is “desperate” for munitions and the price that North Korea will ask for them will be “eye-wateringly high”, he added.
While North Korea has stockpiles of weapons “they’re in very poor condition”, he added.
The two leaders last met in April 2019, when Mr Kim arrived by train in Vladivostok. He was welcomed by officials with a traditional offering of bread and salt. This was also probably the last time Mr Kim travelled abroad.
After the meeting, Mr Putin said Mr Kim would require “security guarantees” in order to abandon his nuclear programme.
That meeting came just months after a summit in Vietnam between Mr Kim and then-US President Donald Trump had failed to make progress on denuclearising the Korean peninsula.