Kim Jong Un says goodbye as his train departs the North Korean capital Pyongyang. He is now said to have arrived in Russia.
(Photo: AP)
Seoul, Moscow According to South Korea, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in Russia on his way to a meeting with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. The Defense Ministry in Seoul said there were indications that Kim’s private train crossed the border on Tuesday morning (local time).
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin’s meeting with Kim would take place in the Russian Far East. The spokesman was quoted by the state news agency Tass as saying where exactly has not yet been said. There will be meetings between the two delegations and individual discussions before an official dinner.
After days of speculation abroad, Moscow and Pyongyang only confirmed an “official visit” by Kim to Russia on Monday. The USA suspects that it will primarily be about arms deals between Russia and the strictly isolated North Korea. Russia needs new weapons for the Ukraine war.
Although there was no official information yet, there was speculation that the two could meet at an economic forum in Russia’s Far Eastern metropolis of Vladivostok. The forum lasts until Wednesday.
North Korea’s state media reported on Tuesday that Kim had already boarded his train in Pyongyang on Sunday afternoon, accompanied by representatives of the ruling Workers’ Party, the government and the military. Pictures showed that he was accompanied by Foreign Minister Choe Sun Hui, among others.
More: All developments in the Ukraine war in our news blog