Kim Jong Un in Russia via Train, To Meet Putin

By Staff, Agencies

Kremlin-owned news agency Ria Novosti announced that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un entered Russia via train, ahead of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kim will meet Putin later this week. The visit marks the North Korean leader’s first trip abroad in four years, having not left the country since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The train carrying Kim crossed into Russia’s Primorsky region from North Korea, Ria Novosti said, with images showing a train with dark green carriages being pulled along a track by a Russian Railways locomotive.

“At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Chairman of State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, will pay an official visit to the Russian Federation in the coming days,” the Kremlin first announced on Monday.

In the meeting, it was speculated that the two leaders would discuss their arms trade, particularly that Moscow would seek artillery shells and anti-tank missiles from North Korea, and Pyongyang would ask for advanced satellite and nuclear-powered submarine technology.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to Russian media that Kim and Putin would discuss “sensitive” subjects, and the two leaders would ignore US “warnings” over the talks.

“Obviously, as neighbors, our countries also cooperate in sensitive areas that should not be the subject of public disclosure and announcements. This is perfectly normal for neighboring states,” he said, noting that “In building our relations with our neighbors, including North Korea, the important thing for us is the interests of our two countries, not Washington's warnings,” Peskov added.