North Korean officials have announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to visit their country shortly.
What Happened: The North Korean Foreign Ministry revealed on Sunday that Putin had expressed his intention to visit North Korea at an "early date." The statement was released by state media KCNA and indicated that Putin had conveyed his gratitude to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for extending the invitation.
This announcement follows a meeting between North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and Putin, along with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow the previous week.
The statement warmly welcomes Putin to visit Pyongyang and highlights the strong will of both Russian and North Korean officials to further strengthen their strategic and tactical cooperation.
The officials also "expressed serious concern over the negative influence of the U.S. and its allied forces' irresponsible and unjust provocative acts." This comes in the wake of Kim publicly supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Why It Matters: The potential visit of Putin to North Korea comes amidst escalating geopolitical tensions and alleged arms cooperation between the two countries. In a recent revelation, U.S. intelligence disclosed that Russia obtained ballistic missiles from North Korea and is in discussions to acquire close-range ballistic missiles from Iran. These missiles were reportedly used in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Pyongyang reportedly shipped its latest nuclear-capable missiles to Russia, with Kim expected to receive significant compensation from Putin for these missiles, estimated to cost around $5 million each.
Last year, in October, The foreign ministers of Russia and North Korea convened in Pyongyang amid Washington's growing suspicion of weapon transfers between Kim and Putin's nations.
Meanwhile, North Korea has opened its borders to tourists, with Russians being the first foreigners to visit since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.
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