Kim Jong Un has hailed North Korea’s expanding relationship with Russia, as reports suggest that president Vladimir Putin will soon visit the country.
Military, economic and other co-operation between North Korea and Russia have sharply increased since Mr Kim visited Russia last September for a meeting with Mr Putin.
The US, South Korea and their partners believe North Korea has supplied artillery, missiles and other conventional weapons to Russia to support its war in Ukraine in return for advanced military technologies and economic aid.
If it goes ahead, this would be Mr Putin’s third meeting with Mr Kim.
Mr Kim has been pushing to boost partnerships with Russia and China in a bid to strengthen his regional footing and launch a united front against the United States.
During their September meeting at Russia’s main space launch site, Mr Kim invited the Russian leader to visit North Korea at “a convenient time”, and Mr Putin accepted.
On Wednesday, Mr Kim sent Mr Putin a congratulatory message commemorating Russia’s National Day, according to the North’s official Korean Central News Agency.
“Thanks to the significant meeting between us at the Vostochney Spaceport in September last year, (North Korea)-Russia friendly and cooperative relations developed into an unbreakable relationship of comrades-in-arms,” Mr Kim said in the message.
Mr Kim’s comments came as media reports said Mr Putin is expected to visit North Korea as early as next week.
Their first summit took place in Vladivostok in April 2019.
Japanese public broadcaster NHK, citing unidentified diplomatic sources including high-ranking Russian officials, reported on Wednesday that Mr Putin is preparing to visit North Korea and Vietnam next week.
NHK said Mr Putin is expected to seek stronger military ties with North Korea as Russia faces a shortage of weapons in its war with Ukraine, while North Korea is believed to want help with space technology in the wake of its recent failure to put a second spy satellite in orbit in late May.
Earlier this week, Russia’s Vedomosti newspaper carried a similar report.
Neither Russia nor North Korea have confirmed reports of a planned trip. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a briefing in late May that “the visit is in the pipeline, and we will make an announcement in due time”, according to Russian news agency Tass.
Russia and North Korea are locked in separate confrontations with the United States — Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and North Korea over its advancing nuclear program. Both North Korea and Russia have denied allegations of arms transfers, which would be a violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.
In March, South Korean defence minister Shin Wonsik said North Korea had already shipped about 7,000 containers filled with munitions and other military equipment to Russia.
In return, Mr Shin said that North Korea had received more than 9,000 Russian containers likely filled with aid.
Recently, tensions on the Korean Peninsula have risen again as North Korea launched balloons carrying refuse and manure toward South Korea, prompting the South to resume propaganda broadcasts at border areas.
