Rare Visit of Putin to North Korea; White House Expresses Concern

The Kremlin announced the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea after 24 years, while the White House expressed concern about the closer ties between Moscow and Pyongyang. Russia announced on Monday, June 18, that Putin would arrive in Pyongyang on Tuesday for a two-day visit. The last visit by a Russian president to North Korea occurred in 2000. According to the British newspaper The Guardian, Putin is seeking greater military support from North Korea. During this visit, Putin is expected to discuss expanding security and economic cooperation with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. It is anticipated that Putin will arrive on Tuesday accompanied by several ministers and advisors, including those responsible for arms procurement in the Russian military. Andrei Belousov, the Minister of Defense, Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister, Putin's Deputy, and Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak are part of this delegation. John Kirby, the spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House, told reporters on Monday, 'We are not concerned about this visit. Our concern is about the deepening relationship between these two countries.' He added that Washington's concerns are not limited to the impact of this relationship on the people of Ukraine due to the transfer of North Korean ballistic missiles to Russia for attacks on Ukraine. Kirby continued that strengthening the relationship between Russia and North Korea could negatively affect the security of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has supplied millions of rounds of Soviet-era artillery shells as a vital lifeline to support Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. North Korea has also provided ballistic missiles and electronic equipment used in wartime to Russia. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin noted last month that the supply of these missiles and equipment, as well as Iranian drones to Moscow, has helped Russia 'get back on its feet' in the war. According to UN observers, at least one ballistic missile fired from Russia to the city of Kharkiv in Ukraine in January was manufactured in North Korea. Meanwhile, North Korea has repeatedly denied Washington's claims of military assistance to Moscow in the war against Ukraine. The White House National Security Council spokesperson stated on January 3 of last year that North Korea had recently provided ballistic missiles and launchers for use in Russia's war against Ukraine, some of which Russia had fired towards Ukraine. The U.S. government believes that after the meeting between the leaders of Russia and North Korea last September, the transfer of North Korean ballistic missiles and artillery shells to Russia began. North Korea has been under UN arms sanctions since 2006 due to its development of ballistic missiles and nuclear programs, and these sanctions have been intensified since then.