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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un assured the Russian president of his “full support” for Russia’s war in Ukraine as the suspicions rise that two countries have a deal potentially trading munitions for economic and technological assistance.
ADVERTISEMENTRussian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met on Wednesday in Putin’s first visit to the country in almost a quarter of a decade. Putin received a warm welcome ahead of his night-time arrival as Kim assured Putin of his “full support” for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Tass news agency reported that Putin opened talks by expressing appreciation of North Korea’s support.He reportedly opened talks with Kim by telling him that Russia is battling “decades of imposed US imperialist policies” as the two countries bonded over their positioning as anti-US.Both countries are under stringent sanctions with North Korea subject to penalisation from the United Nations for its nuclear weapons programmes, and Russia facing economic sanctions from the West due to its invasion of Ukraine. US and South Korean officials accuse the North of providing Russia with artillery, missiles and other military equipment for use in Ukraine, possibly in return for key military technologies and aid. Both deny the accusations which – if true- would violate multiple UN Security Council sanctions. Secret tech aidLast October, North Korea delivered over 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia. Along with China, Russia has provided political cover for Kim’s continuing efforts to advance his nuclear arsenal, repeatedly blocking US-led efforts to impose fresh UN sanctions on the North over its weapons tests.In March, a Russian veto at the United Nations ended monitoring of UN sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program, prompting Western accusations that Moscow is seeking to avoid scrutiny as it buys weapons from Pyongyang for use in Ukraine. US and South Korean officials have said they are discussing options for a new mechanism for monitoring the North.Although Kim’s military nuclear program includes intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the US mainland, further advancement may require external technological assistance. There are indications that Russia might be helping North Korea with technologies for space rockets and military reconnaissance satellites, which Kim views as essential for monitoring South Korea and boosting the threat of his nuclear-capable missiles.According to a report from South Korea’s Institute for National Security Strategy, North Korea could potentially ramp up labour exports to Russia and engage in illicit activities to gain foreign currency, defying UN sanctions. The report also anticipates discussions on enhancing cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, and mining and boosting Russian tourism to North Korea.In Washington, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Putin’s visit to North Korea illustrates how Russia tries “in desperation, to develop and to strengthen relations with countries that can provide it with what it needs to continue the war of aggression that it started against Ukraine.”“North Korea is providing significant munitions to Russia … and other weapons for use in Ukraine. Iran has been providing weaponry, including drones, that have been used against civilians and civilian infrastructure,” Blinken told reporters following a meeting with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday.Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest point in years, with the pace of both Kim’s weapons tests and combined military exercises involving the United States, South Korea and Japan intensifying in a tit-for-tat cycle. The Koreas also engaged in Cold War-style psychological warfare that involved Pyongyang dropping tons of trash on the South using balloons and Seoul broadcasting anti-North Korean propaganda with its loudspeakers.Putin is being accompanied by several top officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Denis Mantrurov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, according to his foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov. He said a number of documents will be signed during the visit, possibly including an agreement on a comprehensive strategic partnership.North Korean state media described the meeting between the leaders as a historic event that demonstrates the “invincibility and durability” of the two nations’ friendship and unity.
