North Korea's Kim pledges 'full support' for Russia in Ukraine as Putin announces deal to strengthen ties

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged full support for Russia's war in Ukraine, aimed at its economic and military expansion, before beginning one-on-one meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang on Wednesday. Show cooperation and a united front against Washington.

Speaking ahead of the summit, Putin thanked Kim for his support in Ukraine and said the two countries would sign an agreement to strengthen their partnership as both “fight the imperialist hegemonic policies of the United States and its satellites against the Russian Federation.”

Meanwhile, Putin's visit growing concern About a weapons system where North Korea supplies Russia with badly needed ammunition to fuel Moscow The war in Ukrainein exchange for economic aid and technology transfers that could bolster the threat posed by Kim's nuclear weapons and missile programs.

North Korea is under UN Security Council sanctions over its weapons program, while Russia also faces sanctions from the United States and its Western partners over its aggression in Ukraine.

After one-on-one talks, the two may issue a joint statement and Kim will host a reception, according to Russian media. Putin is expected to leave for Vietnam on Wednesday evening.

Putin praised Moscow's support for Pyongyang during the Korean War and relations with the Soviet Army fighting the Japanese military on the Korean Peninsula in the final moments of World War II.

Kim said ties between Moscow and Pyongyang are closer now than in Soviet times and called Putin's visit an opportunity to cement their “fiery friendship.”

Kim pledged full support and solidarity to the government, army and people of Russia in carrying out special military operations in Ukraine to protect his country's “sovereignty, security interests and territorial integrity.” It was not immediately clear what that support might look like.

Kim has used similar language in the past, consistently saying North Korea supports what he has described as a justified move to protect Russian interests and blaming the crisis on the “hegemonic policy” of the US-led West.

He hailed “Russia's important role and mission in maintaining strategic stability and balance in the world”.

Ahead of the talks, Kim welcomed Putin with a lavish ceremony in the city's main square, where he introduced key members of the North Korean leadership, including Foreign Minister Cho Son Hui; top aide and ruling party secretary Jo Yong Won; and the leader's powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong.

Huge crowds lined the streets to greet Putin's motorcade, chanting “Welcome Putin” and waving flowers and North Korean and Russian flags.

Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said Putin was accompanied by several top officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, Defense Minister Andrei Belosov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

US and South Korean officials have accused the North of supplying Russia with artillery, missiles and other military equipment for use in Ukraine, possibly in exchange for key military technology and assistance. Both Pyongyang and Moscow deny allegations of North Korean arms transfers, which would violate multiple UN Security Council sanctions previously approved by Russia.

Along with China, Russia has provided political cover for Kim's continued efforts to advance his nuclear arsenal, repeatedly blocking US-led efforts to impose new UN sanctions on the North for its weapons tests.

In March, a Russia's veto at the United Nations UN sanctions ended monitoring North Korea over its nuclear program, prompting Western accusations that Moscow is seeking to avoid scrutiny over its purchase of weapons from Pyongyang for use in Ukraine. US and South Korean officials have said they are discussing options for a new system to monitor the North.

South Korean analysts say Kim is likely to seek stronger economic benefits and more advanced military technology from Russia, though his more sensitive talks with Putin are unlikely to be made public.

Although Kim's military nuclear program now includes developing intercontinental ballistic missiles that could potentially reach the US mainland, he may need outside technological assistance to meaningfully advance his program. There are already possible signs that Russia is helping North Korea with technology related to space rockets and military reconnaissance satellites, which Kim has described as critical to monitoring South Korea and increasing the threat of its nuclear-capable missiles.

According to a recent report by the Institute for National Security Strategy, a think tank run by South Korea's main spy agency, the North may be trying to increase labor exports to Russia and other illicit activities to earn foreign currency in defiance of UN Security Council sanctions. . The institute said there will likely be discussions on expanding cooperation in agriculture, fisheries and mining and further promoting Russian tourism in North Korea.

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Putin's visit to North Korea illustrated how Russia “desperately seeks to build and strengthen ties with countries that can provide what it needs to continue a war of aggression launched against it. ” Ukraine.”

“North Korea is supplying Russia with significant weapons … and other weapons for use in Ukraine. Iran is supplying weapons, including drones, that have been used against civilians and civilian infrastructure,” Blinken told reporters after a meeting with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula are at their highest level in years on both Kim's moves Weapons tests and joint military exercises A tit-for-tat cycle involving the US, South Korea and Japan is intensifying. The Koreans have also engaged in Cold War-style psychological warfare in which North Korea drops tons of trash on the South via balloon and the South broadcasts anti-North Korean propaganda through its loudspeakers.