Kim Jong Un reaches Russia to meet Vladimir Putin amid US warnings

Kim Jong-un has arrived in Russia for a rare summit with president Vladimir Putin to discuss a possible deal to supply North Korean arms for the war in Ukraine. The meeting is expected to be held on Tuesday afternoon on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian port city of Vladivostok, where Putin has already arrived.

Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader, has apparently reached Russia ahead of a summit with President Vladimir Putin that the US said would focus on supplying weapons for Moscow’s war on Ukraine. According to the agency, pictures showed a train with dark green carriages being carried down a track by a Russian Railways locomotive as it entered the Primorsky area from North Korea.  According to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), prominent officials and citizens of Pyongyang offered him "a warm send-off" in the meanwhile.

According to experts, Putin is purportedly looking to North Korea for ammunition and antitank missiles for Moscow's conflict in Ukraine, while Kim is also looking for cutting-edge technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines as well as food supplies for his underdeveloped country.

Kim "left here by his train on Sunday afternoon to visit the Russian Federation," KCNA said. Images from state media showed Kim passing through the station on a red carpet with an honour guard as he made his way to his train.

It is possible that two leaders will meet on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, the Far East city closest to the North Korea-Russia border. The forum runs until Wednesday.

According to state media, Kim was accompanied by senior military figures from North Korea, including his defence minister, foreign minister, and officials in charge of missile manufacture and space science. Kim has not left the North since the coronavirus outbreak first broke out. The year 2019 also saw him go to Russia to meet with Putin.