Kim Jong Un Enters Russia to Visit Putin
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has crossed the border into Russia for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
After decades of a complicated relationship, Russia and North Korea have been drawing closer to each other since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has crossed the border into Russia for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Kim left Pyongyang for Russia on Sunday on his private train, accompanied by top arms industry and military officials and the foreign minister. Russia is likely to discuss an arms deal to support its war in Ukraine. This is because Russia is facing a huge shortage of weapons and other resources.
Photos shared by North Korea state media showed Mr Kim waving from his armoured train before departing Pyongyang. His train is rumoured to include at least 20 bulletproof cars, making it heavier than average trains. Its weight also means the train is very slow - it can only travel at around 59 km/hr. He is going to Vladivostok, where he will meet Putin for the meeting. Mr Kim's last trip abroad was also to Vladivostok in 2019 for a summit with Mr Putin after the collapse of North Korea's nuclear disarmament talks with then-US President Donald Trump.
In July 2023, Russia's Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, visited North Korea. It was the first time Mr Kim had opened the country's doors to foreign guests since the Covid pandemic. Kim showed Shoigu all the weapons as well. That time rumours said that Shoigu had tried to convince Kim to sell the weapons to Russia. People believe that Kim has gone to Russia to again talk about the weapons agreement. What'll matter now is if both sides can find suitable prices they're willing to pay for the other's assistance. Russia will likely ask North Korea for 122 mm and 152mm artillery shells because its stocks are running low, in exchange for food and raw materials, and continuing support at international forums like the United Nations. But it is not easy to determine North Korea's full artillery inventory, given its secretive nature. The United States has said it would be a “huge mistake” for North Korea to supply Russia with weapons to use in Ukraine and warned Pyongyang that it would “pay a price.”
