Kim Jong Un in Russia amid American cautions not to sell weapons

• North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in Russia.
• The Kremlin has indicated that the discussions will be extensive.
• Kim commenced his journey from Pyongyang to Russia.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in Russia for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin has indicated that the discussions will be extensive, although there have been warnings from Washington against the possibility of an arms deal between the two leaders.

Kim commenced his journey from Pyongyang to Russia on Sunday via his private train, as confirmed by North Korea’s state media. He was accompanied by top officials from the arms industry, military, and the foreign minister.

A report from Japan’s news agency, citing an unnamed Russian source, revealed that a train carrying Kim had reached Khasan station, the primary rail entry point to Russia’s Far East from North Korea.

South Korea’s Defence Ministry spokesperson stated their belief that Kim entered Russia early on Tuesday.

It’s worth noting that Kim’s foreign travels have been relatively infrequent, with only seven trips outside North Korea during his 12-year rule, with four of those visits being to China, North Korea’s primary political ally.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned that the visit would be comprehensive, including negotiations between both delegations, followed by the possibility of one-on-one communication between the leaders.

While an official at the Khasan administration refrained from commenting on Kim’s arrival, U.S. officials asserted that arms talks between Russia and North Korea were progressing actively, and discussions between Kim and Putin could include providing Russia with weaponry for the conflict in Ukraine.

Putin arrived in Vladivostok on Monday and was scheduled to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum, which runs through Wednesday.

Peskov mentioned that the meeting between Putin and Kim would occur after the forum and clarified that no news conference with the leaders had been planned.

Despite concerns raised by Washington and its allies regarding closer military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, both Pyongyang and Moscow have denied any plans for North Korea to supply arms to Russia, which has been depleting its weapon stocks during the ongoing 18-month war in Ukraine.

This meeting marks Kim’s second summit with Putin, with their previous encounter taking place in 2019 during Kim’s last overseas trip.

Peskov emphasized that Russia’s national interests would dictate its policies, emphasizing that the interests of both countries were significant, regardless of warnings from Washington.

The North Korean delegation includes prominent figures from the party responsible for defense industry and military matters, such as Munitions Industry Department Director Jo Chun Ryong.

This suggests a focus on defense industry cooperation during the visit.

Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at the Stimson Center in Washington, commented, “The presence of Jo Chun Ryong indicates that North Korea and Russia will conclude some type of agreement for munitions purchases.”

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin urged Moscow to consider its international standing in the aftermath of the Ukraine conflict and the role it played in shaping the current nonproliferation regime.

He warned that military cooperation would violate Security Council resolutions, regardless of Russia’s actions with North Korea.

On Monday, the U.S. renewed its warnings to North Korea not to sell arms to Russia that could be used in the Ukraine conflict and urged North Korea to uphold its commitment not to provide or sell weapons to Russia.

The U.S. State Department stressed that any arms transfer from North Korea to Russia would breach U.N. Security Council resolutions that prohibit such transactions.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated, “We, of course, have aggressively enforced our sanctions against entities that fund Russia’s war effort … and will not hesitate to impose new sanctions appropriately.”

Notably, North Korea has openly supported Russia since the invasion of Ukraine last year, and Putin recently pledged to “expand bilateral ties in all respects in a planned way by pooling efforts.”

Kim showcased his support by personally guiding Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu during an arms exhibition in Pyongyang and observing a military parade featuring banned ballistic missiles.

It’s worth noting that as late as 2017, Russia had voted, alongside China, in favor of Security Council resolutions that imposed penalties on North Korea for its ballistic missile tests and nuclear experiments.

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