Last week, U.S. intelligence reported that North Korea and Russia are organising a leaders’ meeting to strengthen cooperation amid a deepening confrontation with the United States.
Russia and North Korea confirmed the meeting on Monday. Kim’s visit has raised concerns in the West as the leaders are expected to discuss arms supplies that could strengthen Moscow’s position in the war in Ukraine
According to a Kremlin statement, the visit will take place at Putin’s invitation “in the coming days.” It also confirmed by the KCNA news agency, North Korea’s official media outlet.
A yellow-trimmed train, similar to those Kim Jong Un uses on other foreign trips, was spotted by Associated Press reporters near the Russia-North Korea border.
No one knows if Kim was inside, but as of 7 p.m. (10 a.m. GMT) a train traveling back and forth between the station and the approach to the bridge had not crossed the structure.
South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo quoted unnamed sources as saying the train left Pyongyang on Sunday night. Yonhap news agency and some other media outlets have published a similar report suggesting that a meeting between Kim and Putin is possible as early as Tuesday. Japan’s Kyodo news agency, citing Russian officials, reported that Kim may have been traveling to Russia on his personal train.
According to Russia’s TASS news agency, a possible venue for the meeting is Vladivostok, where Putin arrived on Monday to attend an international forum that runs through Wednesday.
Putin and Kim met in this city for the first time in 2019. Washington believes the Russian leader organised the meeting to replenish weapon stocks with North Korean military artillery. The resupply is expected to help weaken the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
