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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has set off for Russia aboard a special train, a South Korean source said, as Pyongyang and Moscow on Monday confirmed a summit with President Vladimir Putin amid Russia’s deepening isolation over the war in Ukraine. Kim would visit Russia in the coming days at the invitation of Putin, the Kremlin said, while North Korean state news agency KCNA said the two would “meet and have a talk”, without elaborating.
US officials have said the pair would discuss possible arms deals to aid Russia’s war in Ukraine and provide North Korea with a much-needed economic and political lifeline. Washington and its allies have been voicing concern at recent signs of closer military cooperation between Russia and the nuclear-armed North.
Kim’s trip to Russia and meeting with Putin will be a full-scale visit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “There will be talks between the two delegations. And after that, if necessary, the leaders will continue their communication in a one-on-one format,” Peskov said. According to Peskov, the main topic of the talks will be bilateral relations between the neighbouring countries. “We will continue to strengthen our friendship.”
The North Korean leader left aboard his train late on Sunday, a senior South Korean government official told Reuters. The special train would take Kim to North Korea’s northeastern border with Russia and the summit could take place as early as Tuesday, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, and added that details could change depending on the situation there.
Kim’s last trip abroad in 2019 was to Russia’s Vladivostok for his first summit with Putin after the collapse of North Korea’s nuclear disarmament talks with former US President Trump. Japan media reported security was being stepped up at the train station in the Russian border city of Khasan, where Kim is expected to enter Russia. Kim doesn’t travel abroad often and, when he does, it is often shrouded in secrecy. He travels by a special train with its signature olive green carriages that are said to be armoured and equipped with communication systems and a personal suite for Kim to work and confer with aides.
US officials have said the pair would discuss possible arms deals to aid Russia’s war in Ukraine and provide North Korea with a much-needed economic and political lifeline. Washington and its allies have been voicing concern at recent signs of closer military cooperation between Russia and the nuclear-armed North.
Kim’s trip to Russia and meeting with Putin will be a full-scale visit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “There will be talks between the two delegations. And after that, if necessary, the leaders will continue their communication in a one-on-one format,” Peskov said. According to Peskov, the main topic of the talks will be bilateral relations between the neighbouring countries. “We will continue to strengthen our friendship.”
The North Korean leader left aboard his train late on Sunday, a senior South Korean government official told Reuters. The special train would take Kim to North Korea’s northeastern border with Russia and the summit could take place as early as Tuesday, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, and added that details could change depending on the situation there.
Kim’s last trip abroad in 2019 was to Russia’s Vladivostok for his first summit with Putin after the collapse of North Korea’s nuclear disarmament talks with former US President Trump. Japan media reported security was being stepped up at the train station in the Russian border city of Khasan, where Kim is expected to enter Russia. Kim doesn’t travel abroad often and, when he does, it is often shrouded in secrecy. He travels by a special train with its signature olive green carriages that are said to be armoured and equipped with communication systems and a personal suite for Kim to work and confer with aides.
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