North Korea’s Kim to visit Russia as US warns of arms deal

(TNS) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet President Vladimir Putin in Russia’s Far East as the U.S. is warning Pyongyang may provide Moscow arms for its war on Ukraine. Kim will travel to Vladivostok and visit with Putin during the annual Eastern Economic Forum, which will be held Sept. 10-13, according to a person familiar with the plans. The U.S. earlier said Kim expected “leader-level talks” with Putin as he seeks weapons, and that arms negotiations between the two countries were “actively advancing.”

Putin and Kim held their first official meeting in April 2019, when the North Korean leader traveled to Vladivostok on an armored train across his country’s border with Russia. While the 2019 meeting touched on the breakdown of nuclear disarmament talks between North Korea and the U.S., the upcoming visit will likely be colored by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The discussions will be focused on the development of the cooperation between the nations, a person familiar said. The meeting provides Putin an opportunity to further strengthen ties with a country outside of the U.S. and Europe’s sphere of influence. The U.S. has accused North Korea for months of providing weapons to help in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Recently, the two leaders exchanged letters and Russian officials visited Pyongyang to discuss possible arms deals, according to U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. Russia in July also proposed joint naval drills with North Korea and China, Yonhap News reported, citing South Korea’s spy agency, though there was no indication of whether Kim accepted the offer.