North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is set to travel to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin, raising concerns that North Korea may be arming Russia in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
While an exact date for the meeting has not been confirmed, officials from both countries have indicated that the visit will take place in the coming days.
The United States and its allies have expressed their worries over the possibility of North Korea supplying weapons to Russia, which would be a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. The State Department has called on North Korea to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and to honor its commitments to not provide or sell arms to the country.
"We urge the DPRK to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia," said a State Department spokesperson. "And we are taking action directly by exposing and sanctioning individuals and entities working to facilitate arms deals between Russia and the DPRK."
Kim's departure for Vladivostok appears to have taken place on a special train, and he will be accompanied by heightened security during his travel. The discussions between Kim and Putin are expected to cover a potential deal in which Russia would receive antitank missiles and artillery shells, while North Korea would receive food provisions, satellite technology, and nuclear-powered submarines.
This upcoming meeting between Kim and Putin follows their previous encounter in 2019, which took place after Kim's discussions with then-President Trump regarding North Korea's nuclear disarmament. Since President Joe Biden assumed office, North Korea has significantly increased its military production, and in June, Kim pledged "full support and solidarity" to Putin.
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