Putin arrived in North Korea as the Ukraine war redefined the relationship with Kim

According to Russian state media, President Vladimir V. Putin has arrived in North Korea, his first visit in 24 years after pledging to take relations with Pyongyang to a new level and jointly reject what he called North Korea’s “global neo-colonial dictatorship”. USA.

Russian state news agencies reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with the Russian President on the airport tarmac early Wednesday morning local time.

Putin arrived in the dead of night, stepping from his plane onto a red carpet lined with uniformed guards to embrace the waiting North Korean leader, video later released by the Kremlin showed. . Mr. Kim led Mr. Putin into the Russian-made Aurus limousine that he received from him last year.

The war against Ukraine has pushed Mr. Putin closer to Mr. Kim, who has gained new status with the Kremlin thanks to it opened his huge ammunition stores to Moscow.

Nine months ago, after Mr. Kim arrived by armored train in the Russian Far East, the two met at a Russian spaceport and toasted their “sacred struggle” against the West. The North Korean leader, in the midst of a visit to Russia’s sensitive missile and fighter jet facilities, invited Putin to make a return visit.

Now, the Russian president has accepted this offer. And the deepening relationship between the two authoritarian leaders poses a special challenge for Washington. The United States has relied on Moscow’s cooperation in efforts to curb North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. Now, the country faces the Kremlin’s intention to undermine America’s geopolitical interests around the world.

Russian state media released footage showing large Russian flags and portraits of a smiling Putin along the streets of Pyongyang as North Korea prepared to welcome the Russian leader.

What does Russia want?

Before the trip, Mr. Putin ordered the signing of a new “comprehensive strategic partnership” agreement with North Korea.

He also published an article in Rodong, North Korea’s main newspaper, praising Kim for resisting “economic pressure, provocations, blackmail and military threats from the United States” and felt sorry for him. Thank Pyongyang for its strong support of Russia’s activities in Ukraine.

Victory over Ukraine has been the guiding principle of Russia’s foreign policy for more than two years, and Putin’s top priority on the trip will be to ensure North Korea’s continued cooperation to help him achieve that goal. battlefield.

North Korea is one of the poorest and most isolated countries in the world but has one of the most powerful militaries.

The exact scope of North Korea’s military aid for the war in Moscow remains unclear. Many analysts say this contribution is significant because the Russian military needs more ammunition than ever in its war of attrition against Kiev. Russian forces have recently gained more territory against Ukraine in part because they can expend more ammunition.

in one interview with Bloomberg Last week, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said Seoul had tracked at least 10,000 shipping containers that could contain up to 4.8 million artillery shells being shipped from North Korea to Russia. The minister predicted that Mr. Putin would ask for more during the trip.

Before Mr. Kim’s visit to Russia last year, US intelligence reported that Moscow has bought millions of artillery shells from North Korea. Since then, the United States has accused Russia at the United Nations of firing multiple North Korean ballistic missiles into Ukraine.

But questions have arisen about the quality of the North’s supplies. Officials in Kiev said that Russia fired about 50 North Korean ballistic missiles into Ukrainian territory last winter and the failure rate of these weapons was very high.

The growing relationship with Moscow has benefited Pyongyang. In March, Russia veto the annual renewal of the United Nations panel of experts that has been scrutinizing North Korea’s sanctions violations for 15 years. The move highlights a dramatic shift in Moscow’s stance toward Pyongyang after years of playing a role in United Nations disarmament efforts there.

Before their mandate expired, United Nations monitors verified that debris from the January attack on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv was from a North Korean missile and said the transfer The arms delivery violated the United Nations arms embargo against Pyongyang. according to Reuters. The embargo prohibits the export and import of arms.

Mr. Putin is unlikely to admit to any deliveries of ammunition or weapons during the trip. Russia denies any military transfers that violate the United Nations embargo.

Kremlin foreign policy assistant Yury V. Ushakov told journalists during a briefing on Monday that the two leaders would discuss energy, transport, agriculture, economic issues health and security during the trip.

Putin will also visit Vietnam this weekend, highlighting the Kremlin’s tendency to challenge US interests even in countries with which Washington is improving relations. The Russian leader’s trip took place later President Biden visits in September.

What does North Korea want?

Mr. Kim, whose grandfather came to power with Moscow’s backing in 1948 and founded North Korea, has steadily expanded his arsenal of modern weapons and increasingly sought the Kremlin’s help.

The warming of relations between Moscow and Pyongyang has resulted the collapse of international efforts aims to deter North Korea’s nuclear and missile ambitions and raises questions about future sanctions enforcement.

Since the two leaders met last year, questions have remained about what Kim received in exchange for supplying Moscow with much-needed ballistic missiles and artillery shells.

Among other things, the conflict has given Pyongyang a rare opportunity to evaluate the performance of its missiles in real combat and potentially perfect their design.

North Korea also welcomes greater access to sophisticated Russian military technology, including its extensive knowledge of satellites. Two months after Kim’s visit to Russia last year, North Korea made a decision first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit, a launch that South Korean officials said was aided by technological support from Moscow.

Russia, which has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal and one of the most sophisticated submarine programs, possesses a host of other technologies of interest to North Korea. Despite years of disarmament efforts by Washington and the United Nations, Pyongyang has conducted six nuclear tests and developed intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.

Isolated from the rest of the world due to international sanctions, North Korea has a series of needs beyond the military that Moscow can also help meet. South Korean officials said Russia, the world’s largest wheat exporter, is supplying food and raw materials as well as weapons production parts.

In an article published in Rodong before his trip, Putin said that Moscow would support North Korea’s struggle against the “cunning, dangerous and aggressive enemy” by deepening economic and military ties. Establish a new trade settlement system without US intervention.

Mr. Ushakov said Russia’s trade with North Korea reached $34.4 million in 2023, nine times more than the previous year. He said the summit would include a discussion on restoring humanitarian ties that were suspended during the pandemic because of North Korea’s strict regulations.