Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, plans to travel to Russia this month to meet with president Vladimir Putin to discuss the possibility of supplying Russia with more weaponry for its war in Ukraine and other military co-operation, according to American and allied officials.
In a rare foray from his country, Mr Kim would travel from Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, probably by armoured train, to Vladivostok, on the Pacific Coast of Russia, where he would meet with Putin, the officials said. Mr Kim could possibly go to Moscow, though that is not certain.
Mr Putin wants Mr Kim to agree to send Russia artillery shells and anti-tank missiles, and Mr Kim would like Russia to provide North Korea with advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, the officials said. Mr Kim is also seeking food aid for his impoverished nation.
Both leaders would be on the campus of Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok to attend the Eastern Economic Forum, which is scheduled to run Sunday to September 13th, according to the officials. Mr Kim also plans to visit Pier 33, where naval ships from Russia’s Pacific fleet dock, they said. North Korea celebrates the anniversary of its founding on Saturday.
On Wednesday, the White House warned that Mr Putin and Mr Kim had exchanged letters discussing a possible arms deal, citing declassified intelligence. A White House spokesperson, John F Kirby, said high-level talks on military co-operation between the two nations were “actively advancing.” US officials declined to give more details on the state of personal ties between the leaders, who are considered adversaries of the United States.
The new information about a planned meeting between them goes far beyond the previous warning. The intelligence relating to the plans has not been declassified or downgraded by the United States, and the officials describing it were not authorised to discuss it. They declined to provide details on how spy agencies had collected the information.
While the White House declined to discuss the new intelligence, Adrienne Watson, a National Security Council spokesperson, said in a statement that Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, travelled to North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, to try to persuade Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Russia.
“As we have warned publicly, arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing,” she said. “We have information that Kim Jong-un expects these discussions to continue, possibly to include high-level diplomatic engagement in Russia.”
At other times since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, US officials have released declassified intelligence to try to dissuade North Korea, China and other countries from supplying Russia with weapons. US officials say White House warnings about planned transfers of North Korean artillery shells stopped previous co-operation between Pyongyang and Moscow.
The United States first warned about co-operation between North Korea and Russia a year ago. Officials, citing declassified US intelligence, said that Russia planned to buy artillery shells for use in Ukraine.
In subsequent disclosures, Mr Kirby said North Korea had shipped munitions to Russia through the Middle East and North Africa.
But US officials said that the disclosures had deterred North Korea and that few if any North Korean weapons had made it to the front lines in Ukraine.
Deterring support for Russia from North Korea, Iran and China is a critical element of the Biden administration’s strategy for helping Ukraine in its defence against Russia.
China, warned by US secretary of state Antony Blinken in February not to provide lethal aid, has supplied dual-use technology and components but has not yet sent drones or heavy weaponry to the Russian military, US officials said.
Iran has supplied drones and is helping Russia build a drone factory. But U.S. officials believe their warnings have helped prod Iran to reconsider plans of providing ballistic missiles to Russia, at least so far.
– This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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