Russian President Vladimir V. Putin arrived in North Korea, according to Russian state media, for the first time in 24 years after pledging to take relations with Pyongyang to new heights and push back together against what he called the “global neocolonial dictatorship” of the United States.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with the Russian president on the airport tarmac Wednesday morning local time, Russian news agencies reported.
Mr. Putin arrived in the middle of the night, stepping off his plane onto a red carpet lined with uniformed guards to kiss the waiting North Korean leader, a video later released by the Kremlin showed. Mr Kim put Mr Putin into a Russian-made Aurus limousine he had received from him last year.
The war against Ukraine has brought Mr. Putin closer to Mr. Kim, who gained new status with the Kremlin in opening its vast ammunition stores in Moscow.
Nine months ago, after Mr. Kim arrived by armored train In the Russian Far East, the two men met at a Russian cosmodrome and toasted their “sacred struggle” against the West. The North Korean leader, between visits to sensitive Russian rocket and fighter jet installations, invited Mr. Putin to make a reciprocal visit.
Today, the Russian president accepted his offer. And the deepening relationship between the two authoritarian leaders poses a particular challenge for Washington. The United States once counted on Moscow’s cooperation in trying to curb North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Today, it faces a Kremlin determined to harm American geopolitical interests around the world.
Russian state media released images showing large Russian flags and portraits of a smiling Mr Putin lining the streets of Pyongyang as North Korea prepared to welcome the Russian leader.
What does Russia want?
Before the trip, Mr. Putin issued an order authorizing the conclusion of a new “comprehensive strategic partnership” agreement with North Korea.
He also published an article in Rodong, North Korea’s main newspaper, praising Mr. Kim for resisting “economic pressure, provocations, blackmail and military threats from the United States” and thanking Pyongyang for its strong support for Russian operations in Ukraine.
Victory over Ukraine has been the guiding principle of Russian foreign policy for more than two years, and Mr. Putin’s top priority during his trip will be to ensure North Korea’s continued cooperation to help it achieve your objectives on the battlefield.
North Korea is one of the poorest and most isolated countries in the world, but it has one of the largest armies.
The exact extent of the North’s military aid to Moscow’s war is unclear. Many analysts believe this contribution was significant, as the Russian army needs more and more ammunition in its war of attrition against kyiv. Russian forces have recently made territorial gains against Ukraine, in part because they are able to expend more munitions.
In a interview with Bloomberg Last week, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said Seoul had spotted at least 10,000 shipping containers holding up to 4.8 million artillery shells transported from South Korea. North towards Russia. The minister predicted that Mr. Putin would ask for more during his trip.
Before Mr. Kim’s visit to Russia last year, U.S. intelligence reported that Moscow had purchased millions of artillery shells from North Korea. The United States has since accused Russia at the United Nations of firing several North Korean ballistic missiles at Ukraine.
But questions arise about the quality of supplies from the North. Officials in Kyiv said that Russia fired around fifty North Korean ballistic missiles into Ukrainian territory last winter and that the failure rate of these weapons was high.
Emerging relations with Moscow have already borne fruit for Pyongyang. In March, Russia vetoed the annual renewal of the UN group of experts which has been examining violations of North Korean sanctions for 15 years. The move highlights Moscow’s radical shift in stance toward Pyongyang after years of playing a role in U.N. disarmament efforts.
Before their mandate expired, U.N. observers verified that debris from a January attack on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv came from a North Korean missile and said the arms transfer violated the UN arms embargo against Pyongyang. according to Reuters. The embargo prohibits the export and import of weapons.
Mr. Putin is unlikely to acknowledge any deliveries of ammunition or weapons during his trip. Russia has denied any military transfers violating the UN embargo.
Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri V. Ushakov told reporters at a news briefing Monday that the two leaders would discuss energy, transportation, agriculture, economics and security issues at the course of the journey.
Mr. Putin will also visit Vietnam later this week, underscoring the Kremlin’s propensity to challenge American interests, even in countries where Washington has improved ties. The Russian leader’s trip there comes after Visit by President Biden in September.
What does North Korea want?
Mr. Kim, whose grandfather came to power with Moscow’s backing in 1948 and founded North Korea, has continued to expand his arsenal of high-end weapons and is increasingly seeking help from the Kremlin.
The warming of relations between Moscow and Pyongyang has led to a break in international efforts aimed at containing North Korea’s nuclear and missile ambitions and raised questions about the future application of sanctions.
Since the two leaders met last year, questions have persisted over what Mr. Kim received in exchange for supplying Moscow with much-needed ballistic missiles and artillery shells.
Among other things, the conflict gave Pyongyang the rare opportunity to evaluate the performance of its missiles in real combat and potentially perfect their design.
North Korea would also like greater access to Russia’s sophisticated military technology, including its extensive knowledge of satellites. Two months after Mr. Kim’s visit to Russia last year, North Korea put its first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit, a launch that South Korean officials say was facilitated by technological assistance from Moscow.
Russia, which has the world’s largest arsenal of nuclear weapons and one of its most sophisticated submarine programs, has a range of other technologies of interest to North Korea. Despite disarmament efforts for many years by Washington and the United Nations, Pyongyang has carried out six nuclear tests and developed intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.
Isolated from the rest of the world due to international sanctions, North Korea has many needs outside the military sector that Moscow could also help meet. South Korean officials said Russia, the world’s largest wheat exporter, was supplying food and raw materials, as well as parts for weapons manufacturing.
In the article published in Rodong before the trip, Putin said Moscow would support North Korea’s fight against the “cunning, dangerous and aggressive enemy” by deepening economic relations and establishing a new settlement system. trade free from American interference.
Ushakov said Russia’s trade with North Korea reached $34.4 million in 2023, nine times the amount from the previous year. He added that the summit would include a discussion on restoring humanitarian ties that were suspended during the pandemic due to North Korea’s strict rules.
