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Kim Jong Un looks set to meet President Vladimir Putin in Russia later this week, with reports suggesting that the North Korean leader is already on his way (see 8.26am post).
In our previous post, we gave our best guess as to where the meeting could potentially take place given what we know – but now let’s outline why the pair are meeting in the first place.
As in that last post – nothing is confirmed, not even the meeting itself – so we can’t say for certain what’s on the agenda.
That being said, the US claimed last week that the Kremlin is attempting to acquire military equipment from North Korea for its war in Ukraine.
National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said on Monday that Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu had travelled to North Korea’s capital of Pyongyang last month.
It is believed Mr Shoigu attempted to persuade North Korea – one of the most militarised countries in the world – to sell artillery ammunition to Russia.
“Why not? These are our neighbours,” Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted Mr Shoigu as saying.
North Korea has previously denied having any “arms dealings” with Russia, but US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Mr Putin and Mr Kim had exchanged letters broaching the subject.
Russia has been struggling with weapons and munitions shortages as its “special military operation” in Ukraine drags past the 18-month mark, and some reports suggest that North Korea could look for advanced technology to support its satellite and nuclear submarine programmes in return for artillery shells and anti-tank missiles.
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