The president of Russia, Vladimir Putinand his North Korean counterpart, kim jong un, have once again shown their harmony. Gathered at the Russian Vostochni cosmodrome in the Siberian Amur region, the leader of North Korea has reiterated that his country “will always be with Russia”, an explicit message of support that reinforces their alliance while a large part of the international community has condemned the war launched against Ukraine.
“Russia is currently facing hegemonic forces to protect its security interests,” Kim Jong-un declared, quoted by Russian television. “We have always expressed our full and unconditional support for all measures taken by the Russian government, and I would like to take this opportunity to say that we will always stand by Russia,” he added.
Kim Jong-un arrived in Vostochny this Tuesday. His conversation with Putin, with the participation of members of his delegations, began this Wednesday at the first plant of the Soyuz-2 rocket industrial complex and is expected to last for several hours. His previous meeting, in 2019, lasted three and a half hours.
“We have many issues (to discuss). I am very glad to see you. Welcome,” Putin told Kim at the start of the summit. Kim, for his part, highlighted the “deep roots” of friendship between North Korea and Russia, previously with the USSR.
“Interest in rockets”
Shortly before the summit, Putin explained to the press that he chose the Vostochi cosmodrome for the meeting because the North Korean leader “has a great interest in the rockets“. “They try to develop the space industry“said the head of the Kremlin.
Asked if he will talk about military cooperation With the North Korean leader, Putin replied: “We will talk about all issues without haste. There is time.” On the agenda there will foreseeably be an agreement to supply weapons and military technology.
The Vostochny cosmodrome, the construction of which has not yet been completed, occupies an area of 109 hectares, on which the construction of more than 200 buildings and structures is planned.
Visit to the cosmodrome
Both leaders toured the cosmodrome, a facility dedicated to the assembly of the new Russian Angará rocket, reported the Kremlin. During the visit, the leaders heard brief explanations about the technical characteristics of the Soyuz-2 rockets and the Angará family carriers.
Kim became interested in the characteristics of the rocket’s fuel, where its spent stages fall, and the launch vehicle’s propulsion principles.
The leaders were accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District, Yuri Trutnev, Director of Roscosmos, Yuri Boríov, and General Director of JSC TsENKI, Nikolai Nestechuk.
The Angará are a family of carriers, from light to heavy types, created on the basis of universal rocket modules (URM) with oxygen and kerosene engines.
Kim Jong-un is not the first foreign leader to be shown the cosmodrome, as the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenkovisited him on several occasions, and the leader of the military junta of Burma, Min Aung Hlaing.
Trade cooperation
The agenda will include bilateral relations and cooperation, commercial and economic ties, cultural exchanges, international and regional affairs, and “sensitive issues” that will not be disclosed to the public, according to the spokesman for the Russian Presidency, Dmitri Peskov. This last mention by Putin’s press secretary is interpreted as a confirmation that the two leaders will discuss an arms supply agreement from North Korea to Russia, immersed for 567 days in the war it launched in Ukraine.
According to The New York Times, Putin wants North Korea to sell Russia ammunition to artillery and anti-tank missileswhile Pyongyang would be looking for advanced technology for the manufacture of satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, as well as production of Petroleum and food aid.
Kim traveled to Russia with a delegation that includes the defense and foreign ministers, as well as senior military officials, including the director of the Industrial Department of Munitions, and also the secretary for Science and Education of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party. , which is linked to the North Korean space program.
Coinciding with the imminent summit between both leaders, the South Korean Army reported that North Korea today launched an unidentified ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan (called the East Sea in the two Koreas).
USA, pay attention
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The international community, from USA to Asia, and Ukraine are closely monitoring the development of the summit. The US has reminded both countries “that any arms transfer from North Korea to Russia would violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions.” UN“. “We will not hesitate to impose new sanctions if appropriate,” they stressed both the White House like the State Department. “For us the interests of our two countries are important and not the warnings of Washington“, Peskov replied the day before.
The South Korean Presidency in turn urged Russia to “act responsibly” as a member of the Security Council, since North Korea is under United Nations sanctions.