Report: Kim Jong Un to Meet Putin for Weapons Talks

Facts

• North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to travel to Russia this month in order to meet with Pres. Vladimir Putin and discuss potential weapons sales, according to a US official who briefed reporters on Monday.¹
• Based on military intelligence cited by the official, whose comments were first reported by the New York Times, the meeting is likely to take place in the eastern Russian port city of Vladivostok — given its proximity to North Korea — though exact details remain unconfirmed.²
• According to the report, Putin is aiming to secure artillery shells and anti-tank missiles from North Korea. Kim is reportedly seeking technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines from Moscow.²
• The news comes after Russia's defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, traveled to Pyongyang and met with Kim in late July. North Korean state media reported that Kim took Shoigu to an arms exhibition and showcased the country's latest weapons — including what appeared to be intercontinental ballistic missiles.³
• North Korean state media added that Kim and Shoigu reached a consensus on unspecified "matters of mutual concern in the field of national defense and security and on the regional and international security environment."³
• On Monday, Shoigu announced that Russia was also in talks with North Korea about hosting joint military exercises.⁴

Sources: ¹CBS, ²The Guardian, ³Associated Press, and ⁴Daily Sabah.

Narratives

• Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by Associated Press. As Russia increasingly turns to countries like North Korea and Iran, these developments underscore just how isolated Putin has become. Russia is desperate for weapons amid issues with its floundering arms industry and related supply-chain problems.
• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by Daily Sabah. Russia is a neighbor of North Korea, and so to seek harmonious relationships and benefits through mutual interests — rather than discord and a policy of isolationism — is both inevitable and productive for both nations.

Predictions