Russian Leader Accepts Kim Jong Un's Invitation To Visit North Korea Amid Arms Deal Speculations

Vladimir Putin accepted Kim Jong Un‘s invitation to visit North Korea after the supreme leader of the isolated nation met the Russian president in Moscow.

What Happened: Putin received the invitation during a reception marking the end of a day of extensive talks and a tour of the Vostochny Cosmodrome space center with Kim, Al Jazeera reported.

The Russian president’s acceptance was warmly received, with Putin expressing his commitment to the historical Russia-DPRK friendship, according to KCNA, the North Korean state news agency.

These dialogues have triggered international concern, particularly in the U.S., over fears that North Korea might be planning to supply arms to Russia for its ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This could potentially be in exchange for technology to aid North Korea’s military modernization efforts.

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Leif-Eric Easley, an international studies professor at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, inferred from the composition of Kim’s delegation that North Korea might be willing to provide munitions to Russia in return for military technology.

Why It Matters: Putin also hinted at possible military cooperation with North Korea. Russian state media also reported that Moscow might aid Pyongyang in satellite construction following North Korea’s unsuccessful attempts to launch a spy satellite crucial to its weapons development.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller and Japan’s newly-appointed Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa voiced concerns over Russia’s talks with North Korea about cooperation on programs that could potentially breach U.N. Security Council resolutions.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris had labeled the Russia-North Korea meeting as an “act of desperation” and a “huge mistake.”

Photo by Harold Escalona on Shutterstock

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