North Korean leader Kim pledges full support to Putin

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday pledged full and unconditional support to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders held a summit that the US warned could lead to a deal to supply ammunition to Moscow’s war in Ukraine. The meeting between the leaders of Russia and North Korea took place at a remote Siberian rocket launch center and lasted about four hours. This meeting between these two leaders, isolated by the Western countries, underlines how the interests of both are aligned in the same direction. Putin is believed to need stockpiles of old ammunition and rockets for Soviet-era weapons, which North Korea has in abundance.

Such a request would mark a reversal of roles from the 1950-53 Korean War, when Moscow provided arms to support Pyongyang’s invasion of South Korea. The decision to meet at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, the most important launch center on Russian soil, indicates that Kim wants Russia’s help in developing military reconnaissance satellites, which he said could increase the threat of his missile capable of delivering a nuclear attack. Said to be important. In recent months, North Korea has repeatedly failed to put its first military spy satellite into orbit. Kim arrived at the launch center in his limousine car, which he had brought from Pyongyang in a special armored train.

During this, Putin welcomed him and shook hands. Both the leaders shook hands for about 40 seconds. Putin talked about the Soviet Union’s wartime support to North Korea and said the talks would cover economic cooperation, humanitarian issues and the situation in the region. Kim indirectly hinted at the war in Ukraine and pledged continued support for Moscow. “Russia is currently engaged in a just struggle against hegemonic forces to defend its sovereign rights, security and interests,” he said. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has always expressed its full and unconditional support for all steps taken by the Russian Government and I take this opportunity to reiterate that we will always stand with Russia on the anti-imperialist front and the front of freedom ”

Analysts say North Korea may have millions of old artillery shells and rockets based on Soviet designs that could give Russian forces an overwhelming advantage in Ukraine. The US has accused North Korea of ​​providing arms to Russia, including selling artillery shells to the Russian group Wagner. Both Russian and North Korean officials have denied such claims. However, buying arms from North Korea or providing it with rocket technology would violate international sanctions that Russia has supported in the past. According to Russian state media, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Kim and Putin first met with their delegations and later among themselves.

After the talks, Russian President Putin hosted an official lunch for Kim, according to the spokesman. Putin told Russian state TV that Kim would visit two more cities in the Far East alone after the summit. On the question of whether Russia will help North Korea build satellites, Russian state media quoted Putin as saying, “That’s why we have come here.” The leaders of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) (North Korea) have a keen interest in rocket technology and are trying to make their mark in this field. Asked about military cooperation, Putin said, ‘We will talk on all issues without any haste.

There’s still time.” For Putin, the meeting with Kim is an opportunity to replenish ammunition reserves that appear to have been depleted by the 18-month war. For Kim, it is a chance to escape UN sanctions and years of diplomatic isolation. Kim said his decision to visit Russia four years after his last visit shows that his country values ​​the “strategic importance” of its ties with Moscow, North Korea’s official news agency, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), reported on Wednesday. Giving priority. KCNA said Kim then left for his destination, but did not say where he was going. Kim is expected to ask for economic aid and military technology.

According to Russian news agencies, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said that Russia could discuss humanitarian aid with the North Korean delegation. However, an arms deal with North Korea would violate international sanctions that Russia has previously supported. South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Lim Soo-suk said Seoul was keeping in touch with Moscow while closely monitoring Kim’s visit. “No UN member state should violate Security Council sanctions against North Korea by engaging in illicit arms trade, and certainly not by engaging in military cooperation with North Korea,” Lim said at a news conference. There should not be anything that undermines the peace and stability of the international community.

Disclaimer: IndiaTheNews has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.

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