International media have taken notice of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's visit to Russia, where he arrived with senior military officials amid rumors of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Due to Moscow's role in the continuing war in Ukraine, Western nations are worried that North Korea and Russia may strike an arms deal as a result of this unusual encounter.
Kim Jong Un's Russia Visit Raises Concerns of Arms Deal
According to the Korean Central News Agency, Kim Jong Un traveled from North Korea to Russia by train with high-ranking members of the North Korean military and government.
Per CBS News, the Kremlin later acknowledged that Kim had been invited for an official visit to Russia in the coming days, despite initial reports suggesting that they would meet as soon as Tuesday.
Kim's train entered Russian territory early on Tuesday, according to the spokesperson for the South Korean Defense Ministry, Jeon Ha Gyu, but no more information regarding his arrival was provided.
North Korea's official media covered Kim's departure from Pyongyang and arrival in Russia, showing images of him passing honor guards and waving from his recognizable green-and-yellow armored train. Putin and Kim would lead their respective delegations in negotiations, and if required, they might have one-on-one conversations, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
The improvement of bilateral ties between the two countries will be the main topic of discussion. A probable location for the meeting is the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok, where Putin and Kim first met in 2019. During Kim's visit, Putin was in Vladivostok attending a global conference.
According to information that US officials previously made public, North Korea and Russia were preparing to meet at the leadership level in September as part of their deepening collaboration, particularly in reaction to escalating tensions with the United States.
Russia and North Korea may cooperate by supplying North Korea with artillery and ammunition to replenish its depleting supplies. This would put more pressure on the West to enter negotiations while also raising concerns about a protracted confrontation in Ukraine.
Kim Jong Un might ask for advanced military technologies, such as those connected to intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarines, and military reconnaissance satellites, in exchange for necessities like food and energy.
The potential transfer of Russian technology makes the growing threat that North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile capabilities pose to the United States, South Korea, and Japan even more concerning. Kim Jong Un's most recent public visit featured the debut of what North Korean state media referred to as the nation's first "nuclear attack submarine."
Analysts have questioned the veracity of Kim's assertions that this vessel is capable of launching nuclear-armed ballistic missiles. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the thawing of relations between North Korea and Russia has been a major development.
North Korea and Russia Strengthen Ties Amid Weapon Allegations
The two countries have grown closer as a result of Kim's desire to strengthen alliances with longtime friends like Beijing and Moscow and Putin's need for support in the fight.
Including artillery shells being delivered to the Russian mercenary outfit Wagner, North Korea is allegedly providing weapons to Russia, according to the United States.
Both Russia and North Korea have refuted these claims, but there have been growing concerns about military cooperation since Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited North Korea in July, where he took part in an arms fair and a sizable military display, as per NBC News.
A meeting between Kim and Putin, according to experts, would be more symbolic than useful in terms of meaningful military collaboration. Russia, which is renowned for protecting its key weapon technologies, could be reluctant to give such technology to North Korea, especially for constrained war supplies supplied over a relatively insignificant rail link between the two nations.
According to Daily Mail, many are closely observing to see if any big developments, notably involving military cooperation and arms agreements in a globe already struggling with complicated geopolitical issues, come from Kim Jong Un's visit to Russia, which has prompted questions and concerns on the international stage.
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