From the BZ editorial team
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Wednesday at the Vostochny cosmodrome in eastern Russia.
A video released by the Kremlin shows Kim and Putin shaking hands. According to Russian news agencies, Putin announced that Russia would help North Korea build satellites.
This is also the reason why the cosmodrome was chosen as the location for the meeting, the state news agency Ria Novosti reported. “The leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea shows great interest in missile technology and is trying to expand his presence in space,” Putin said. When asked by journalists whether the meeting would also cover military cooperation, the Russian president said: “We will talk about all issues, without haste. We have enough time.”
Kim: We support all decisions
Kim Jong Un on his visit to Russia Photo: Mikhail Metzel / POOL / AFP
Russia has stood up to protect its sovereignty and security, Kim said at the meeting on Wednesday, according to the Interfax news agency. “We have always and will continue to support all of Putin’s decisions and decisions of the Russian government. I hope that we will always be together in the fight against imperialism and building a sovereign state.”
News agencies had previously reported that the two heads of state would discuss “trade relations” and “international affairs”. According to Washington, the planned talks between Kim and Putin in Vostochny could lead to arms supplies from North Korea for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Does North Korea supply weapons and ammunition to Russia?
Putin and Kim are also expected to discuss increasing military cooperation during their meeting. North Korea is considered a potential supplier of weapons and ammunition for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. In return, Moscow could hand over missile technologies to its neighbor. It is Kim’s first visit to Russia since 2019.
The Vostochny cosmodrome is located in the Amur region, around 100 kilometers from the border with China. Vostochny is considered an addition to the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, which is leased from Moscow. The cosmodrome is intended to reduce Russia’s dependence on Kazakhstan in space travel.