MOSCOW: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia this month to discuss the possibility of supplying weapons against Ukraine, The New York Times reported on Monday, citing U.S. and allied sources.
Kim would travel from Pyongyang, probably by armored train, to Vladivostok, on the Pacific coast of Russia, where he would meet with Putin, the newspaper said.
Putin wants Kim to send Russia artillery shells and antitank missiles to Moscow, while the North Korean leader would like Russia to provide Pyongyang with advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, the officials said. Kim is also seeking food aid for his impoverished nation.
The planned trip would come as Russia discusses holding joint military exercises with North Korea.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Adrienne Watson, a National Security Council spokeswoman, acknowledged that the United States expected “leader-level diplomatic engagement” on the issue of arms sales to take place between Russia and North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
“We urge the DPRK to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia,” she said in a statement after the Times story was published.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu met Kim in July in North Korea seeking artillery ammunition for Russia’s war against Ukraine.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday that the United States was concerned that arms negotiations between the two countries were advancing actively.
(VOA)
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