Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, made a pledge on Tuesday to strengthen ties with North Korea and help it in its fight against the United States as he traveled there for the first day in 24 years.
Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, whose nation is the only one to have carried out nuclear weapons testing in the 21st century, is being investigated by the US and its Eastern friends.
Putin praised Pyongyang for resisting what he claimed was US economic stress, blackmail, and challenges as a sign that Russia, a member of the UN Security Council with a filibuster, is reevaluating its overall strategy to North Korea.
In an article published by North Korean state advertising, Putin praised” Comrade” Kim, and promised to” simultaneously resist illegal punitive limits”, to create business and improve surveillance across Eurasia.
” Washington, refusing to implement previously reached agreements, continuously puts forward new, increasingly stringent and obviously unacceptable demands”, Putin said in the article, printed on the front page of North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun, the ruling Workers ‘ Party mouthpiece.
Russia has always supported and will continue to support the heroic Korean people in their resistance to the vile, vicious, and aggressive adversary.
Putin noted the Soviet Union was the first to recognise the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ( DPRK) founded by Kim’s grandfather, Kim Il Sung, less than two years before the 1950 Korean War.
Additionally, the North Korean state media published articles praising Russia and supporting its military operations in Ukraine, which were referred to as” a sacred war of all Russian citizens.”
Putin’s state visit comes amid US accusations that North Korea has “dozens of ballistic missiles and over 11, 000 containers of munitions to Russia” for use in Ukraine. South Korea, a staunch US ally, has raised similar concerns.
The White House expressed concern over the growing tension between Russia and North Korea on Monday, saying it was troubling. Putin’s war in Ukraine was “quite certain,” according to the US State Department.
Moscow and Pyongyang have denied providing arms transfers, but both have pledged to strengthen military ties, possibly through joint drills.
Putin’s trip is likely intended to show Washington how disruptive Moscow can be in a number of global crises because Russia is expected to surpass the entire NATO military alliance in terms of ammunition production this year.
Russia voted in favor of the panel of experts ‘ annual renewal in March to watch the enforcement of long-standing UN sanctions against North Korea for its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs.
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
Russia and North Korea may sign a partnership agreement during the visit, according to Putin’s senior foreign policy advisor, Yuri Ushakov, who said security concerns would be addressed.
He claimed that the deal would “outline prospects for further cooperation” rather than “anything” against any other nation.
The visit will include one- on- one discussions between the two leaders, as well as a gala concert, state reception, honour guards, document signings, and a statement to the media, Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted Ushakov as saying.
Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the ministers for natural resources, health, and transport, the heads of the Russian space agency and its railways, and Putin’s point man for energy, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, will be part of the delegation.
Commercial satellite imagery revealed that North Korea appeared to have been making preparations for a possible military parade in downtown Pyongyang prior to the visit.
According to Victor Cha, a former US national security official with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the summit poses the greatest threat to American national security since the Korean War.
” This relationship, deep in history and reinvigorated by the war in Ukraine, undermines the security of Europe, Asia, and the US homeland”, he wrote in a report on Monday.
He urged Washington to work with Europe and other countries to increase Pyongyang’s influence on both the economy and the world, engage with China, and launch a significant human rights and information campaign to encroach on the North to attract outside media attention.
Since 2006, North Korea has been subject to UN sanctions for its ballistic missile and nuclear programs, and those sanctions have been increased over the years.
The Security Council has been divided on how to handle Pyongyang.
Russia and China claim that additional sanctions wo n’t help and that joint military exercises by the United States and South Korea merely aggravate Pyongyang. They vetoed a US-led effort to impose more UN sanctions on North Korea due to its recent ballistic missile launches two years ago.
Beijing and Moscow are accused of enticing North Korea by preventing it from receiving more sanctions by Washington and its Asian allies.
After North Korea, Putin will visit Vietnam on June 19- 20.
( Reporting by Gerry Doyle and Gareth Jones, as well as Guy Faulconbridge and Hyonhee Shin in Moscow, Lidia Kelly in Melbourne, and Michelle Nichols in New York, as well as Gerry Doyle and Gareth Jones ‘ editing ).
