UPDATE: North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un Has Arrived In Russia Where He Is Expected To Meet Vladimir Putin

UPDATE: Tuesday, September 12 at 17:10 pm

THE North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in Russia where he is expected to meet with Vladimir Putin later this Tuesday, September 12.

His armoured train pulled into Khasan station in the Primorsky Territory earlier today where the head of the DPRK was met by Alexander Kozlov, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, as reported by tass.ru.

‘The leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was met at the Khasan station in the Primorsky Territory by the chairman of the intergovernmental commission of the Russian Federation and the DPRK, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov’, read a statement from the Ministry.

There has been no official confirmation of the members of the delegation that travelled to Russia with Kim Jong-un, but a video published online on the Intel Republic Telegram channel showed some of the party.

They were recognised as Foreign Minister Choi Song-hee, Deputy Chairman of the Central Military Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Lee Byung-chol, and Park Chung-cheon, Head of the Military Administration Department of the WPK Central Committee.

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Tuesday, September 12 at 1:36 am

THE Kremlin confirmed this Monday, September 11 that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un was scheduled to meet Vladimir Putin at some point in the near future.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin press secretary, revealed that the president had extended an invitation to his counterpart. However, he stopped short of revealing a specific location or date for this meeting. A statement to this effect was also published by the Moscow office.

According to recent reports, it is believed that their meeting will be taking place in the Russian city of Vladivostok. These were backed up by the Korean Central News Agency which also reported that Kim Jong-un will arrive in Russia soon to meet with Putin. The trip will be the North Korean leader’s first trip abroad in four years.

Speaking with RIA Novosti, Peskov said that negotiations will take place between the delegations of the two countries. A one-on-one meeting of heads of state will be organised ‘if necessary’, he added.

Earlier on Monday, the South Korean TV channel YTN reported that Kim Jong-un had left Pyongyang on board an armoured train. The news outlet said it was presumably headed to Vladivostok for a meeting with his Russian counterpart, which could take place ‘around September 13’, according to gazeta.ru.

According to the publication donga.com, the North Korean leader left the capital on the afternoon of September 10 and will cross the DPRK border on the morning of September 12.

Vladimir Putin is currently in Vladivostok after arriving to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum, which takes place from September 10 to 13. The head of state will hold a number of meetings and conferences, and will also speak at the plenary session.

The New York Times first reported a possible meeting

On September 5, the New York Times reported about preparations for the visit of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to Russia.

It cited sources informing that negotiations between the North Korean leader and Vladimir Putin could take place on the sidelines of the EEF.

Peskov denied the claims being made by news outlets and stated that the Russian side ‘has nothing to say’ on this topic. Subsequently, he clarified that there are ‘no plans for negotiations on the sidelines of the EEF’, without confirming or denying the visit of the head of the DPRK to Russia.

Sources of the NYT claimed that the heads of state planned to discuss cooperation in the defence sector. Kim Jong-un was also expected to ask Russia for assistance with advanced technologies for satellites and nuclear submarines.

Putin allegedly hopes to obtain supplies of artillery shells and anti-tank missiles for use in a military operation in Ukraine as a result of their meeting they added.

The subject of negotiations being an ‘arms deal’ including the exchange of ‘missiles and nuclear missile technologies’, was not ruled out by Dong-a Ilbo either.

The White House expects arms supply discussions to take place

White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrian Watson said that the American administration expects discussions on arms supplies to take place.

She emphasised that contacts between the Russian Federation and North Korea on weapons are ‘actively developing’ and called on Pyongyang to stop discussing this topic with Moscow.

Russia and the DPRK have repeatedly stated that they did not enter into any deals to supply North Korean weapons for use in Ukraine. At the same time, neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has officially announced the topics of the expected negotiations.