GREATER COOPERATION
After meeting Kim on Wednesday at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, roughly 8,000km from Moscow, Putin talked up the prospect of greater cooperation with North Korea and the “possibilities” for military ties.
Moscow is believed to be interested in buying North Korean ammunition to continue fighting in Ukraine, while Pyongyang wants Russia’s help to develop its internationally condemned missile programme.
The Kremlin has said no agreement has or will be signed.
On Saturday Kim met the Russian defence minister in Vladivostok, where he inspected state-of-the-art weapons including a hypersonic missile system.
The pair were seen smiling as they inspected some of Russia’s nuclear bombers at an airfield before boarding a warship, a video released by the Russian defence ministry showed.
North Korean news agency KCNA has described the atmosphere during Kim’s visit as “fervent and warm” and said a “new era of friendship, solidarity and cooperation” was opening between North Korea and Russia.
While meeting Kim, Putin accepted an invitation to visit North Korea and offered to send a North Korean to space, which would be a first.
Source: CNA
