Kim Jong-un is going to come to Russia for arms talks

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un plans to travel to Russia this month to meet with President Vladimir Putin. They will discuss the possibility of North Korea providing Moscow with weapons to support its war in Ukraine, reports with the BBC.

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It is not clear where the negotiations will take place. There were no comments from North Korea and the Kremlin.

The White House said it has information that arms talks between the two countries are "actively moving forward."

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National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu tried to "convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition" to Russia during a recent visit to North Korea.

Among the weapons presented at the meeting was the Hwaseong ICBM, which is believed to be the first ICBM to use solid propellants. This was the first time Kim has opened the country's doors to foreign visitors since the Covid pandemic.

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Since then, Putin and Kim have exchanged letters, "promising to expand bilateral cooperation," Kirby said.

“We call on North Korea to end arms negotiations with Russia and honor Pyongyang’s public commitments not to supply or sell weapons to Russia,” Kirby said.

He warned that the US would take action, including imposing sanctions, if North Korea did supply arms to Russia.

Both Washington and Seoul are concerned about what North Korea will get in exchange for such a deal, which could lead to increased military cooperation between the two countries in Asia.

On September 4, South Korea's intelligence service reported that Shoigu had suggested that Russia, China and North Korea hold joint naval exercises similar to those being conducted by the United States, South Korea and Japan.

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Another fear is that Russia could supply weapons to North Korea in the future, at a time when Pyongyang needs them most.

More worryingly, Kim Jong Un may ask Putin to provide him with advanced weapons technology or knowledge to help him make a breakthrough in his nuclear weapons program.

However, the deal may turn out to be transactional rather than strategic. For now, Russia needs weapons, and a sanctioned, starving North Korea needs money and food.

The New York Times reported that the meeting between Kim and Putin could take place in the port city of Vladivostok on Russia's east coast. Sources said that Kim would likely ride on an armored train.

Late last month, an advance group of North Korean officials visited Vladivostok and Moscow. These included security officers who enforce protocol for management travel.

Pyongyang and Moscow have previously denied that the North is supplying Russia with weapons to use in the war in Ukraine.

John Everard, who served as Britain's ambassador to North Korea between 2006 and 2008, said the publicity surrounding a possible visit would be "a good reason why the visit is now unlikely to take place" as Kim is "completely paranoid about his personal safety". ".

And although North Korea has stockpiles of weapons that Moscow needs, “they are in very poor condition,” he added.

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The last time the two leaders met was in April 2019, when Kim arrived by train in Vladivostok. This was probably the last time Kim traveled abroad. After the meeting, Putin said that Kim would need "security guarantees" to abandon his nuclear program.

The meeting came just months after the Vietnam summit between Kim and then-U.S. President Donald Trump failed to make progress on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

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