Russia and North Korea have announced that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will soon visit Russia and meet with President Putin. As the military invasion of Ukraine continues for a long time, Russia seems to be aiming to discuss the provision of weapons.
table of contents
Russia-North Korea Upcoming Summit and Announcement
Relations between the two countries further strengthened after the military invasion of Ukraine
North Korean Missiles Technical Aid from Russia?
Former Russian diplomat hints arms sale could be agreed
The possibility of strengthening relations in the economic field
Russian spokesman: "Official dinner will be held in honor"
U.S. Arms Provision Violations Multiple UN Security Council Resolutions
Open Table of Contents
table of contents
table of contents
Russia-North Korea Upcoming Summit and Announcement
Relations between the two countries further strengthened after the military invasion of Ukraine
North Korean Missiles Technical Aid from Russia?
Former Russian diplomat hints arms sale could be agreed
The possibility of strengthening relations in the economic field
Russian spokesman: "Official dinner will be held in honor"
U.S. Arms Provision Violations Multiple UN Security Council Resolutions
Russia-North Korea Upcoming Summit and Announcement
Russia and North Korea announced on the 11th that General Secretary Kim Jong-un will visit Russia soon at the invitation of President Putin to hold talks.
Peskov, a spokesman for the Russian President's Office, predicted that the summit would include one-on-one meetings with only interpreters, in addition to the format of the delegation.
South Korean media quoted a South Korean government official as saying that a special train believed to be carrying General Secretary Kim had departed for Vladivostok in the Russian Far East.
President Putin is visiting Vladivostok from the 1th to attend the Eastern Economic Forum of the International Economic Conference, and a summit meeting is expected to take place soon.
This is Kim's first visit to Russia in four years since April 1, and his second meeting with President Putin.
As Russia's military invasion of Ukraine drags on, it is likely that Russia will also aim to discuss the provision of weapons.
On the other hand, there is a view that North Korea will show its solidarity with Russia, which is behind it along with China, and seek the military technical support necessary to possess nuclear submarines and military reconnaissance satellites in order to compete with the United States and other countries.
Relations between the two countries further strengthened after the military invasion of Ukraine
Relations between the two countries have been intensifying since Russia's military invasion of Ukraine began in February last year.
Immediately after the invasion began, North Korea expressed its full support for Russia through a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in October last year issued a statement supporting Russia's unilateral annexation of four provinces in eastern and southern Ukraine.
In January, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of General Secretary Kim Jong Un, condemned the U.S. provision of tanks to Ukraine, and last month, Kim told Putin, "I firmly believe that the unity of the two countries is always a must-win in achieving joint feats in line with the demands of the new era." I sent a congratulatory telegram.
On the other hand, Russia will also strengthen its efforts to show understanding of North Korea's position.
In May last year, in response to North Korea's successive ballistic missile launches, the United Nations Security Council voted on a resolution to strengthen sanctions against North Korea. Russia, along with China, vetoed the resolution, and the resolution was rejected.
Security Council sanctions resolutions against North Korea have been adopted continuously since 2, but this was the first time they were vetoed.
Since then, Russia has shown its stance of defending North Korea together with China, and while the Security Council has not been able to take a unified response, North Korea has further accelerated its nuclear and missile development.
North Korean Missiles Technical Aid from Russia?
Amid the prolonged invasion of Ukraine and the acceleration of North Korea's nuclear and missile development, there is growing concern about military cooperation between the two countries.
In January, the White House released satellite images of a cargo train allegedly loaded with weapons, accusing North Korea of providing weapons to use in Ukraine to the Russian private military company Wagener.
Regarding the new solid-fuel ICBM = intercontinental ballistic missile-class "Mars 1" that North Korea tested again in July, an American think tank has pointed out the possibility of technical cooperation from Russia, saying that the shape and trajectory data match that of Russian ICBMs.
And in July, to coincide with the 7th anniversary of the armistice of the Korean War, a Russian delegation accompanied China in the capital Pyongyang, where Kim met with Defense Minister Shoigu, who led the delegation.
General Secretary Kim was conspicuous for his hospitality, visiting the latest weapons exhibition with Defense Minister Shoigu and watching the military parade side by side.
Regarding Defense Minister Shoigu who visited North Korea, South Korean intelligence agencies said this month that they had proposed joint military exercises by three countries, including China, and Defense Minister Shoigu also admitted on April 70 that he was considering joint military exercises with North Korea.
Former Russian diplomat hints arms sale could be agreed
Alexander Vorontsov, a former Russian diplomat and member of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, who was stationed in Pyongyang, North Korea, told NHK that Shoigu may have asked Kim to visit Russia during his visit to North Korea in July. North Korea has shown its firm support for Russia. Russia appreciates it, and the importance of North Korea has become very large."
On the other hand, with regard to North Korea, he said, "It had indicated its intention to raise dialogue with Russia to a higher level," and expressed the view that momentum for a summit meeting was growing between the two countries.
On top of that, he expressed the view that security issues between Russia and North Korea and bilateral economic cooperation in response to sanctions against Europe and the United States would be the main topics on the agenda at the summit meeting, but regarding the suggestion that President Putin may ask North Korea to sell weapons over the military invasion of Ukraine, he said, "Although there is a lot of speculation, The official position is that Russia is not demanding it."
However, he pointed out that the meeting between the leaders of Japan, the United States, and South Korea at Camp David, a presidential villa on the outskirts of Washington, in the middle of last month may have put great pressure on Russia and North Korea. He also suggested that the talks could agree on arms sales.
On the other hand, Mr. Vorontsov said, "North Korea needs a lot of things, and Russia will be able to support it economically," and suggested that Russia would provide food such as wheat in return.
The possibility of strengthening relations in the economic field
As North Korea gradually eases measures against the spread of the new coronavirus with stricter border controls, it is likely that relations in the economic field will strengthen in the future.
In December last year, UN statistics confirmed that oil exports from Russia to North Korea resumed for the first time in two years, and last month, North Korea's state-owned Koryo Airlines operated a temporary flight between Pyongyang and Vladivostok for the first time in three and a half years.
The Russian embassy in North Korea announced on May 12 that diplomats who had left the country due to the spread of the new corona infection have returned, and it is expected that diplomatic activities with North Korea will begin in earnest.
Russian spokesman: "Official dinner will be held in honor"
In the early morning of the 12th, Peskov Japan, a spokesman for the Russian presidential office, said in a video posted on social media by a reporter from the state-run Russian TV that "it will be held soon, and an official dinner party is also planned to pay tribute."
"North Korea is a neighboring country and we have an obligation to build a good and mutually beneficial relationship," he said, adding that the two leaders would discuss strengthening bilateral relations.
U.S. Arms Provision Violations Multiple UN Security Council Resolutions
A spokesman for the NSC = National Security Council of the US White House said in a statement on the 11th, "During North Korean General Secretary Kim Jong-un's visit to Russia, it is expected that discussions will be held between the two countries on the provision of weapons.
State Department spokesman Miller also stressed at a press conference that "any provision of weapons from North Korea to Russia violates multiple resolutions of the United Nations Security Council," and indicated that he would not hesitate to impose new sanctions.
Pentagon spokesman Ryder also told reporters, "We have received information that General Secretary Kim has left for Russia," and stressed that the meeting will be closely monitored.