Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit North Korea for the first time in 24 years, as announced by both nations, highlighting the growing ties between Moscow and the nuclear-armed state since the onset of the Ukraine conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit North Korea on Tuesday and Wednesday, marking his first trip to the country in 24 years, as confirmed by both nations. This visit underscores the strengthening ties between Moscow and the nuclear-armed state following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The invitation for this visit was extended by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his visit to Russia’s Far East in September of last year. Putin’s previous visit to Pyongyang was in July 2000.
In response, the White House expressed concern over the deepening relationship between Russia and North Korea. The U.S. State Department indicated that it is “quite certain” that Putin aims to secure arms from North Korea to bolster his military efforts in Ukraine.
Yuri Ushakov, the foreign policy adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, announced that Russia and North Korea might sign a partnership agreement during the visit. This agreement is expected to encompass security matters.
Ushakov emphasized that the agreement would not target any specific country but would “outline prospects for further cooperation, taking into account recent developments in our bilateral relations, particularly in international politics, economics, and security.”
Accompanying Putin on this visit will be key officials including Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, who oversees energy issues.
Following his visit to North Korea, Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Vietnam on June 19-20, according to the Kremlin. While both visits were anticipated, the specific dates had not been previously disclosed.
Russia has been actively promoting the resurgence of its ties with North Korea since the onset of the Ukraine conflict, a development that has raised concerns among the United States and its allies in Europe and Asia.
Washington alleges that North Korea has provided weapons to Russia to support its efforts in Ukraine, a claim that both Pyongyang and Moscow have consistently denied.
North Korea Allegedly Supplying Weapons to Russia for Ukraine Conflict
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller reiterated allegations on Monday that North Korea has supplied Russia with “dozens of ballistic missiles and over 11,000 containers of munitions” for use in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Miller emphasized the desperation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting that in recent months, Putin has increasingly relied on support from Iran and North Korea to compensate for equipment losses on the battlefield.
Despite repeated denials from both Pyongyang and Moscow, Washington continues to assert that North Korea has been providing weapons to aid Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine. Miller’s statement highlighted the urgency of the situation, stating, “So I’m quite certain that that is what he’s up to.”
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell also voiced concerns about what Russia might be offering North Korea in exchange for this support. “Is it hard currency? Is it energy? Or capabilities that allow them to advance their nuclear or missile products? We don’t know. But we’re concerned by that and watching carefully,” Campbell said last week.
For Putin, who views the conflict in Ukraine as an existential struggle against Western powers, aligning with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un serves as a strategic move to provoke Washington and its allies in Asia. United Nations monitors have reported that at least one ballistic missile fired from Russia in Ukraine in January was manufactured in North Korea. Ukrainian officials claim that approximately 50 such missiles have been delivered to Russia by North Korea.
Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Seoul’s Ewha University, commented on the geopolitical implications of the relationship, stating, “The list of countries willing to welcome Putin is shorter than ever, but for Kim Jong Un, this visit is a victory. Not only does the summit upgrade North Korea’s status among countries standing against the US-led international order, it also helps bolster Kim’s domestic legitimacy.”
South Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister, Kim Hong-kyun, expressed concerns during an emergency phone call with Campbell on Friday about Putin’s recent visit to Pyongyang, which Seoul’s foreign ministry noted could lead to increased military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. This, the ministry stated, would be in violation of UN resolutions.
In response, Russia has asserted its right to develop relations with North Korea and other countries as it sees fit, maintaining that it will not be dictated to by any other nation, particularly the United States.
Image Source: Sputnik/AP
