From Le Figaro with AFP
Published 2 hours ago, updated 35 minutes ago
Russian President Vladimir Putin. SPUTNIK / Portal
Kim Jong-un “received a Russian-made car as a gift for his personal use from Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation,” the DPR news agency reported. “State KCNA.
Russian President Vladimir Putin offered North Korean leader Kim Jong-un a Russian-made car as part of strengthening ties between the two countries, state media in Pyongyang said on Tuesday, January 20. This gift is likely to be a violation of the sanctions imposed on Pyongyang by the United Nations in 2017 and also signed by Russia, which target all imports of vehicles into North Korea.
Kim Jong-un “received a Russian-made car as a gift for his personal use from Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation,” the DPR news agency reported. “State KCNA. Mr Kim's powerful sister Yo Jong said the “gift was clear evidence of the special personal ties between the top leaders” of the two countries, the North Korean agency added. The vehicle model was not specified in this publication.
Reconciliation between Moscow and Pyongyang
Since the North Korean leader's visit to Russia last year, Pyongyang has moved closer to Moscow. Earlier this month, a group of Russian tourists arrived on a four-day trip, the first known foreign group to visit the country since pandemic-related border closures. After the September summit between Kim and Putin in the Russian Far East, the United States and South Korea repeatedly claimed that the North had supplied Moscow with weapons for use in its war with Ukraine in exchange for Russian help with North Korean satellite programs.
Both sides said the Russian leader is expected to make another visit to Pyongyang. Mr. Kim is known for his taste in luxury cars. He has been spotted driving Lexus SUVs and Mercedes-Benz S-Class models. A 2021 United Nations report alleges an attempt was made to transport over $1 million worth of luxury vehicles from the United Arab Emirates to Ningbo, China, for onward delivery to North Korea.
Read alsoPutin calls for strengthening cooperation with North Korea “on all axes”
During the North Korean leader's visit to Russia last year, Putin invited him for a ride in the back seat of his Aurus Senat presidential limousine. The North Korean leader arrived there in his Maybach limousine, transported by a special train from North Korea.
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