Putin's visit to Pyongyang: Deepening military ties with Kim
A meeting between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un is on the horizon. The previous meeting resulted in the delivery of ammunition from North Korea to the Kremlin. Media reports suggest that the purpose of this visit may be to deepen military cooperation between the regimes.
According to Russian independent media, North Korea may have delivered up to 5 million artillery shells to Russia. In an interview with Bloomberg, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik confirmed this information. Meanwhile, the Kremlin received tanks, aircraft, and technology to implement a satellite spy programme.
Next week, Vladimir Putin is expected to visit North Korea and Kim Jong Un. Satellite images indicate the wide range of preparations in Asian countries. Civilian aeroplanes have already been removed from Pyongyang, which could herald a grand military parade in honour of the guest.
The US and South Korea have rising concerns. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun and US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell reportedly discussed the planned meeting over the phone. Both declared the tightening of cooperation between Washington and Seoul.
Extensive North Korean-Russian cooperation
A Kremlin spokesman on Thursday declined to specify the exact date of Putin's visit to Pyongyang.
"We have the right to develop good relations with our neighbours and this should not cause concern for anyone," he stated.
The last meeting of the two dictators took place in September of the previous year. It was then that close cooperation was declared. Western media also reported on the delivery of weapons to the Kremlin. Moscow denied these reports. However, according to UN observers, in Kharkiv in January, the remnants of a missile originating from North Korea were found.
Satellite images released by the White House show that Russian cargo ships regularly travel between the North Korean port of Najin near the border with Russia and a former Soviet submarine base about 180 kilometres away. From there, trains transport containers to a warehouse in the Russian city of Tikhoretsk in the Krasnodar Krai.
According to analysts, Kim demanded economic assistance from Russia in exchange for ammunition, especially food and fuel. North Korea is devastated by gigantic military expenditures, an inefficient political system, sanctions, and natural disasters.
