Putin and Kim’s friendship deepens, Russian-made car gifted to North Korean dictator

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has received a car as a gift from Russian President Vladimir Putin for his personal use, which may violate UN sanctions that Moscow adopted against Pyongyang . The two countries have forged closer ties since Kim and Putin met in September and have pledged to boost exchanges in all areas as their international isolation deepens over Russia’s war in Ukraine and the North’s nuclear weapons development. .

The official KCNA news agency said the Russian-made car was handed over to Kim’s top aides by the Russian side on February 18. Kim’s sister politely thanked the Russian side for Kim Jong Un’s gift to Putin, KCNA said, adding that the gift serves as a clear demonstration of the special personal relationship between the top leaders. The report did not describe the car nor explain how it was shipped from Russia. Kim is believed to be fond of automobiles and has a large collection of luxury foreign vehicles, which are believed to be smuggled.

While visiting Russia’s space launch station in the Far East in September, Kim inspected Putin’s presidential Aurus Senate limousine and the Russian leader invited him to climb into the back seat. Kim himself drove to the scene in a Maybach limousine brought on a special train that had traveled from Pyongyang. That vehicle and other vehicles in which he was seen, including several Mercedes limousines, a Rolls-Royce Phantom and a Lexus sports utility vehicle, fall under luxury goods that UN Security Council resolutions ban on export to North Korea.