That’s everything you need to know about the summit between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visit the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s far eastern Amur region on September 13, 2023. (Photo: Mikhail Metzel /Sputnik/Portal)
Vladimir Putin said Russia was considering and discussing some form of military cooperation with North Korea, following a summit in which that country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, appeared to endorse Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
The leaders met at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East as both countries face international isolation.
Moscow needs new supplies of ammunition and projectiles after Ukraine’s more than 18-month war battered its military, while North Korea, facing years of international sanctions over its nuclear weapons program, is lacking everything from cash and food to missile technology.
Here’s what happened at the summit:
Kim showed his support for the Russian invasion: Without naming Ukraine, Kim said that “the Russian army and its people will inherit the brilliant tradition of victory” and prove their reputation on the front lines of “military operation,” the euphemism Moscow uses to launch its invasion describes. illegally from Ukraine.
“I will always stand by Russia,” Kim said, praising Moscow for “rising up against the hegemonic forces” to defend its sovereignty and security – a veiled reference to the United States and the West.
What North Korea wants in return: Putin expressed his willingness to help North Korea develop its space and satellite programs. North Korea has made space technology a priority but still has a long way to go: This year it tried to put a spy satellite into orbit but failed twice.
Kim also emphasized the role of military satellites as a means of protecting national security and territorial stability and spoke of their strategic value in the preemptive use of military forces, North Korean state media reported in April.
Providing this technology to North Korea would violate international sanctions designed to limit Pyongyang’s ability to build a fully operational nuclear and ballistic missile force.
The meeting took place at a space center: During the visit, the two leaders inspected the complex where Russia plans to launch its next generation of spacecraft. The facilities were built to accommodate launch vehicles, conduct pre-launch preparations, launches and post-launch operations, state news agency TASS reported.
“The meeting at Russia’s eastern cosmodrome is particularly provocative because it suggests Putin may be offering sanctions-violating satellite launch technology in exchange for North Korean munitions that Moscow would use in its illegal war in Ukraine,” Leif-Eric told CNN . Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.
North Korea fires ballistic missiles: Hours before the summit, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into waters off the east coast of the Korean peninsula, South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said.
Analysts say it is unusual for Pyongyang to conduct a missile launch while Kim is out of the country. North Korea could seek to “demonstrate that the military remains operational with uninterrupted command and control,” Easley said.