On the 11th (local time), the White House in the United States urged North Korea to "adhere to its public commitment not to provide or sell weapons to Russia" in relation to North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un's visit to Russia. It has been confirmed that Chairman Kim is currently traveling to Russia by train to meet with President Vladimir Putin.
Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the National Defense Commission, departed Pyongyang by special train on the afternoon of September 10 to visit the Russian Federation, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 12th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
In a statement issued on the same day under the name of the National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson, the White House warned, "As the United States has publicly warned, discussions on arms (transactions) between North Korea and Russia are expected to continue during Kim Jong-un's visit to Russia." On the same day, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also stated during a briefing that "we will not hesitate to impose new sanctions on North Korea." He said, "Providing weapons to Russia violates United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions," and added, "We will closely monitor the results of the (North Korea-Russia) talks."
The United States has been openly warning about the potential arms deals between the North Korean and Russian leaders for about a week, explicitly cautioning about the consequences. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris recently appeared on CBS's Face the Nation and said that if North Korea complies with Russia's request, it would be "a serious mistake." National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also issued a warning last week during a briefing, stating that if North Korea supports Russia with weapons, "it will pay a price in the international community."
Train presumed to be Kim Jong-un's exclusive train captured on the 11th near the North Korea-Russia border [Image source=AP Yonhap News]
Despite repeated warnings from the U.S., Chairman Kim's visit to Russia on this day raises the key question of whether it will actually lead to North Korea providing weapons to Russia. The Kremlin and North Korea's Korean Central News Agency confirmed in statements that Chairman Kim will soon make an official visit to Russia at the invitation of President Putin. It is known that North Korea seeks to obtain energy and food aid, as well as advanced weapons-related technology including intercontinental ballistic missiles, in exchange for supplying weapons to Russia.
The location and date of the meeting between President Putin and Chairman Kim have not yet been announced. This meeting will be the first in about four years and five months since April 2019. The Kremlin stated that both sides will discuss bilateral relations during this meeting. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with local media on the same day, "North Korea is our neighbor, and like any neighboring country, we need to build a good reciprocal relationship," adding, "We will strengthen our friendship." He also mentioned that President Putin will host an official dinner to commemorate Chairman Kim's visit to Russia.
Major foreign media outlets have been reporting consecutively that the train presumed to be carrying Chairman Kim departed from Pyongyang and left for Russia. The U.S. Department of Defense also confirmed that Chairman Kim is moving to Russia. Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder told reporters, "Based on the information we have received, we expect a certain form of (North Korea-Russia summit) meeting," and explained, "Kim Jong-un is moving to Russia."
A photo taken on the 11th (local time) of Vladivostok Station in the Far East Primorsky Krai, which is speculated to be the destination, as news emerged that Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, departed for Russia on a special train. On this day, unlike usual, many police officers, soldiers, and military dogs were deployed throughout the platforms inside Vladivostok Station. [Image source=Yonhap News]
In particular, the strengthening of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is expected to have repercussions not only on the ongoing war in Ukraine but also on the security situation in Northeast Asia. The Associated Press noted, "The possibility of Russia transferring technology could increase North Korea's nuclear and missile threats aimed at South Korea, the United States, and Japan." The New York Times (NYT) analyzed, "The meeting between Chairman Kim and President Putin four years ago was for diplomatic showmanship, but this time they will meet with something Russia desperately needs," adding, "It could signal a new era of North Korea-Russia cooperation."
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