North Korean leader Kim Jong-un plans to visit Russia in September, where he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the possibility of Russia supplying additional weapons for the war against Ukraine.
The New York Times reports this with reference to US officials.
According to the newspaper, the main topic of the meeting between the two leaders will be the issue of North Korea's supply of more weapons to Russia for its participation in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, as well as the possibility of military cooperation between the two countries.
Kim Jong-un's trip is scheduled for September, and he is likely to go to Vladivostok, where he will meet with Vladimir Putin. Particular emphasis will be placed on their participation in the Eastern Economic Forum, scheduled for September 10-13 at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok. In addition, Kim intends to visit Pier 33, where the ships of the Russian Pacific Fleet are stationed.
The possibility of visiting the Vostochny cosmodrome, located 950 miles (1,500 km) north of Vladivostok, is also being considered as one of the potential points of Kim's route.
According to the source, Vladimir Putin is seeking Kim Jong-un's consent to supply artillery shells and anti-tank missiles to support Russian forces in Ukraine. In turn, the North Korean leader is interested in advanced technologies for satellites and nuclear submarines.
These issues have reportedly already been discussed in an exchange of letters between the two leaders, information about which became known through intelligence. In addition, in July of this year, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu, paid an official visit to North Korea and met with representatives of the North Korean authorities.
e-news.com.ua