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North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un plans to travel to Russia this month to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the possibility of Pyongyang delivering more weapons to Moscow for the war in Ukraine, The New York Times and The Washington Post published this Monday.
According to The New York Times, citing US and allied officials, Putin wants North Korea to sell artillery and anti-tank missiles to Russia, while Pyongyang is seeking advanced technology for manufacturing satellites and nuclear-powered submarines.
In addition, Kim wants food aid for his country, detailed the New York newspaper.
Kim rarely travels outside North Korea. To meet Putin, his idea would be to travel from Pyongyang, possibly by armored train, to Vladivostok, on Russia’s Pacific coast, according to The New York Times.
In this way, both Putin and Kim would meet on the margins of the Eastern Economic Forum, which will be held between September 12 and 15 at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok.
According to The Washington Post, which quotes a US official, the White House already had information last week about the exchange of “letters” between Kim and Putin.
Asked by EFE, the White House did not confirm the information published by The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Nevertheless, Adrienne Watson, spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, He explained to EFE that the United States is aware that Kim wants talks on arms sales to Russia to continue and include “diplomatic contact at the level of leaders in Russia.”
The United States has been warning for months that North Korea has sent weapons to Russian forces for use in Ukraine, as the conflict has depleted the Russian state’s reserves.
In December last year, the White House alleged that North Korea had delivered rockets and infantry missiles to the Wagner mercenary group, which played a key role in the Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine.
However, following Wagner’s failed armed rebellion attempt in June, the relationship between Russia and North Korea regarding arms purchases has undergone a significant change: it is now carried out at the government level rather than directed through of the Wagner group, as announced by the White House last week.
Specifically, the White House reported that the Russian Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, He traveled to Pyongyang at the end of July to request the purchase of artillery ammunition, and since then both countries have exchanged “letters” with the purpose of strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Additionally, according to the White House, after Shoigu’s visit, another group of Russian officials traveled to Pyongyang to continue talks on possible arms deals between the two countries.
Apart from North Korea, States have also denounced that Iran has delivered weapons to Russia for the war in Ukraine.
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