Why Is Putin Visiting North Korea After A Gap Of 24 Years?

Russian President Vladimir Putin will make his first visit to North Korea in 24 years on Tuesday, June 18, as confirmed by both the countries .The tour will last two days.

Putin is scheduled to meet with Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, to discuss extending military cooperation as the two countries strengthen their alliance in the face of independent, escalating conflicts with the United States.

Putin will make a state visit to North Korea on Tuesday and Wednesday at Kim’s invitation, according to the official Korean Central News Agency of North Korea. Details weren’t immediately provided by North Korean state media. Concurrent with the visit, Russia issued an announcement confirming it.

The visit takes place at a time when international anxiety is mounting over an arms deal whereby Pyongyang gives Moscow desperately needed ammunition to support Putin’s war in Ukraine in return for technology transfers and economic support that would bolster the threat posed by Kim’s nuclear weapons and missile programme.

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North Korea and Russia have significantly boosted their military, economic, and other cooperation since Kim’s first meeting with Putin in the Russian Far East in September.

Authorities from the United States and South Korea have charged that the North is giving Russia artillery, missiles, and other military hardware to help it continue its conflict in Ukraine, maybe in exchange for important military technology and assistance. Moscow and Pyongyang have refuted claims that they are transferring weapons to North Korea, which would be against resolutions passed by the UN Security Council.

Russia, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, has previously approved a number of resolutions that would be violated by any weapons exchange with North Korea.

North Korea analyst Andrei Lankov of Kookmin University in Seoul pointed out that Pyongyang expects to receive more advanced weaponry from Moscow in return for short-range ballistic missiles and artillery bombs.

Lankov pointed out that although Russia could be hesitant to give North Korea access to its cutting-edge military technologies, Pyongyang is willing to supply it with weapons. The Associated Press was informed by Lankov that “there is never enough ammunition in a war, there is a great demand for them.”

Months after winning his first election, in July 2000, Putin made his first trip to Pyongyang to meet with Kim Jong Il, the country’s ruler at the time, who was Kim’s father.

Pyongyang’s backing for Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine has been expressed with “high appreciation” by Moscow, which has also highlighted their “close and fruitful cooperation” at the UN and other international organisations.

Putin sent Kim an opulent Aurus Senat limousine earlier this year, which he had shown the North Korean leader during their September encounter. Observers claimed that the cargo went against a United Nations resolution that forbade the sale of upscale goods to North Korea in an effort to put pressure on the country to abandon its nuclear weapons programme.

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