“There took place a tete-a-tete between Kim Jong Un and Putin after the extended talks”, according to KCNA, and Kim left a message in a visitor’s book which read: “The glory of Russia that produced the first conquerors of space will be immortal.”
Russia became a pariah in the West after launching full-scale hostilities in Ukraine last year and has looked to strengthen alliances with other leaders facing similar isolation.
Putin praised the “strengthening of cooperation and friendship between our countries”, while hosting Kim at a spaceport in Russia’s far east, and told reporters he saw “possibilities” for military cooperation with North Korea.
He had earlier said Moscow could help Pyongyang build satellites.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said any cooperation would be “quite troubling and would potentially be in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions”.
US officials and experts have said Russia is interested in buying North Korean ammunition to use in Ukraine.
While Kim was in Russia, Pyongyang fired two ballistic missiles on Wednesday, the South Korean military said, the latest in a string of sanctions-busting tests.
Raising a toast during an official dinner following one-on-one talks, Kim told Putin: “We are confident that the Russian army and people will win a great victory in the just fight to punish evil groups who pursue hegemony, expansion, and ambition.”
He also praised the “heroic” Russian army.
Source: CNA
