Putin-Kim Jong-un meeting ‘North Korean astronauts’ agreement, weapons support ‘implemented 1 month ago’
Russian President Putin and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un discussed ‘North Korean astronauts’ at a meeting, and the head of Ukraine’s intelligence agency stated that weapons support was ‘implemented one month in advance’ in the ‘one-month reversal agreement’.
Reuters reported on the 13th that President Putin gave Chairman Kim a tour of Russia's state-of-the-art space rocket launch base in the Russian Far East and discussed the possibility of sending North Korean astronauts into space.
Reuters continued, “Putin and Kim Jong-un called each other ‘comrades’ during lunch,” and “Kyrillo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service, said on Ukraine’s NV radio, ‘North Korea has been supplying weapons to Russia for more than a month already. “I said, ‘I’m doing it,’” he said.
In an article from Moscow, Reuters reported that the head of Ukraine's intelligence service revealed through Ukrainian radio that "everything was already agreed a month and a half ago and shipments from North Korea began."
NYT said, “U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that North Korea is shipping artillery shells and rockets from Ukraine for Russia,” and added, “They fear that the meeting between Chairman Kim and President Putin will lead to additional arms deals, but even if the two sides reach an agreement. “I acknowledge that we may never announce it,” he said on the 13th.
Putin, 70, and Kim Jong-un, 39, discussed the world situation and possible areas of cooperation in a private meeting after several hours of talks with their ministers before eating Russian 'pelmeni' dumplings stuffed with Kamchatka crab, mushrooms and potatoes. At a sumptuous luncheon featuring sturgeon served with fish, Chairman Kim toasted with Russian wine the victory of “Great Russia” and the Korean-Russian friendship, calling the war in Ukraine a “holy fight” with the West and predicting “Moscow’s victory.” Reuters reported.
Putin went on to say that he and Kim plan to visit military and civil aviation factories in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russia, and inspect the Russian Pacific Fleet in Vladivostok, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said they would hold more talks next month. The Kremlin announced that it would visit Pyongyang for the purpose.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maoning said at a regular briefing on the 14th, “Wang Yi, member of the Communist Party Central Political Bureau and Minister of Foreign Affairs, will visit Russia on the 18th and meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov,” adding, “China will discuss bilateral relations with Russia and international regional issues.” “We are in close communication,” he said.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on this day, “President Putin accepted Chairman Kim’s invitation to visit North Korea in the future.”
Before his meeting with Putin, Kim signed the visitor's book in Korean, saying, "Russia's glory for giving birth to the first conqueror of space will be immortal."
Ahead of the meeting, Putin said Kim had shown "a great interest in rocketry" during the visit after Kim showed him around the building where Russia's new 42.7-metre space launch rocket, the Angara, is being assembled, Reuters said.
Reuters reported that analysts said the prominent presence of Defense Industry Minister Cho Chun-ryong in Chairman Kim's Russian delegation suggests an agenda focused on defense industry cooperation.
Regarding North Korea-Russia contacts, Unification Minister Kim Young-ho said at a press conference on the 14th, “Both sides are continuously pursuing some kind of military deal,” and “The more North Korea sticks to nuclear development, the more it will have no choice but to face a stronger response from South Korea, the United States, and Japan.” “Now we must take the lead in improving human rights in North Korea,” he said.