Kim, Putin set for summit in Russia amid concerns over arms deal

Seoul, Sep 13 (IANS) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to hold a rare summit in Russia, with the two isolated leaders expected to advance an arms negotiation and bolster military cooperation, the media reported on Wednesday.

Analysts have predicted that North Korea may agree to supply Russia with ammunition and weaponry for its war in Ukraine, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Moscow, in return, may agree on a weapons-related technology transfer to Pyongyang, such as those involving spy satellites and nuclear-powered submarines.

If Kim and Putin also agree to strengthen their military cooperation, including a three-way naval drill with China, it would pose a major security challenge on the Korean Peninsula and beyond.

Kim said his trip to Russia for a meeting with Putin is a "clear manifestation" of North Korea prioritising the "strategic importance" of their bilateral ties, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Wednesday.

The KCNA confirmed that Kim's train arrived at the Russian border city of Khasan at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, where he was "warmly welcomed" by senior Russian officials, including Russia's Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov, and attended a ceremony marking his visit aimed at putting Pyongyang-Moscow relations on "a fresh higher level".

Kim then left for his destination, the KCNA said, without specifying details.

It remains unknown exactly when and where Kim and Putin would hold a meeting, though some foreign media reports said the summit would likely take place Wednesday at the Vostochny Cosmodrome space centre in the Amur region.

Citing a source, Russian news outlet RBK said Kim will hold a summit with Putin on Wednesday and a separate meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Saturday.

The summit is likely to be held at the Vostochny spaceport, some 1,000 km from Vladivostok, where it was previously expected to be held.

Following a stop at Khasan on Tuesday, Kim's train headed to the Far East city of Ussuriysk and crossed the railway bridge over the Razdolnaya River in Primorsky Krai, and appeared to be moving north of Vladivostok, according to media reports, raising the possibility that he could meet Putin in a different region.

Initially, it was widely speculated that Kim would travel to Vladivostok to meet Putin as he previously did in 2019.

The US has warned it will take action if North Korea agrees to provide weapons to Russia.

Matthew Miller, a spokesperson at the US State Department, said that any arms transfer from North Korea to Russia would violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions.

"We will monitor what happens and will not hesitate to take action to hold those accountable if necessary," the spokesperson told a daily press briefing when asked about a potential arms deal between Pyongyang and Moscow.