Kremlin announces Russian President Putin is about to visit North Korea
The Kremlin has announced that it is preparing for a visit to North Korea by Russian President Vladimir Putin but has not announced a specific date for the visit.
Russia's RIA news agency reported on May 24 that the Kremlin said it was preparing an official visit to North Korea by Russian President Vladimir Putin. "As everyone knows, President Putin has a valid invitation to visit North Korea.
We will announce the timing of the visit as soon as possible," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Military experts say North Korea and Russia are two countries that are under international sanctions, and this has pushed the two countries closer together
South Korea and the United States have also repeatedly released evidence of Moscow and Pyongyang exchanging weapons and technology. Meanwhile, Washington and Kyiv have also accused the Russian military of using weapons sent by North Korea to attack Ukraine.
Putin last visited North Korea in 2000. During his visit that year, the Russian president met with then-North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in the capital, Pyongyang.
Earlier, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Russia from September 12 to 17, 2023. As part of the visit, Kim visited the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur Region, the Knevichi Airfield in the Primorsky Region and the Vladivostok Region.
During the visit, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu took Kim Jong Un to see Russian strategic bombers such as the Tu-160, Tu-05 and Tu-22M3. All can carry nuclear weapons, according to Reuters news agency.
Kim Jong Un has also questioned how the missiles were deployed from aircraft, sometimes smiling and nodding when he heard the introduction. The North Korean leader is also seen as a MiG-31I interceptor with the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system, according to Russia's RIA news agency.
Western observers at the time suggested that the leaders of Russia and North Korea might sign a military agreement between the two sides. At the same time, Washington and its allies fear Kim's visit to Russia could help bolster Moscow's military power in Ukraine, as well as boost Pyongyang's missile program.
However, the Kremlin insists Moscow has no plans to sign any formal agreements during Kim's visit. Notably, Putin's visit to North Korea comes shortly after the Russian leader just wrapped up his visit to China in mid-May.
China is the first foreign destination Putin has visited since being sworn in as a new president. International observers are paying close attention to this visit, at a time when Russian-Chinese relations are flourishing. Some argue that tensions with the United States and the West in general are a link, further contributing to pulling Moscow and Beijing closer together.
