Kim Jong-un plans to travel to Russia this month to meet President Vladimir Putin and discuss the possibility of supplying Moscow with weapons for the war in Ukraine, as Russia says it is seeking closer military ties with North Korea.
In a rare trip abroad, Kim would travel from Pyongyang, probably by armoured train, to Vladivostok, on the Pacific Coast of Russia, where he would meet Putin, the New York Times reported on Monday, citing US and allied sources.
On Monday, United States National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson indicated that the meeting would be part of ongoing discussions over weapons sales between the two countries.
“As we have warned publicly, arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing,” Watson said, using an acronym for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or North Korea.
“We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia,” she added.
Kim is reported to be seeking advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines as well as food aid for his impoverished nation.
An official at Seoul’s unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean relations, said various developments “indicated” the growing possibility of an arms deal between Pyongyang and Moscow.
“Any form of cooperation between North Korea and neighboring countries must be conducted in a way that does not undermine international norms and peace,” he told reporters.