Russia and North Korea

Russia and North Korea: Relations between Russia and North Korea have reached a "qualitatively new, strategic" level, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Thursday in Pyongyang, according to Moscow state media.

Lavrov arrived Wednesday night for a two-day visit after accompanying President Vladimir Putin on a trip to Beijing. 

The veteran envoy's meetings in Pyongyang are expected to lay the groundwork for a future visit by Putin, who was invited by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last month at a high-profile summit in Russia's far east. —  AFP

Russian news agencies report that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wrapped up his visit to Russia on Sunday, leaving the far eastern region of the country on his armored train.

The Ria Novosti agency published a video of Kim's departure, and said a "departure ceremony" was held at the Artyom-Primorsky-1 station. The TASS news agency said that Kim's train was headed around 250 kilometres towards the border. — AFP

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with the Russian defense minister in Vladivostok, where he inspected state-of-the-art weapons including a hypersonic missile system on the latest leg of a rare visit outside his country.

Upon arriving in Vladivostok, a Pacific port city near the Chinese and North Korean borders, Kim was greeted by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and an honor guard.

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 defense ministry shows. — AFP

Russian news agency TASS reports that North Korea leader Kim Jong Un is meeting Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gifted each other rifles during their meeting in Far Eastern Russia, the Kremlin says. 

Putin "gave (Kim) a rifle from our production of the highest quality. In turn, he also received a North Korean-made rifle," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that Putin also gifted Kim "a glove from a space suit that has been in space several times." — AFP

Pyongyang's state-run KCNA news agency says Thursday Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted an invitation to visit North Korea from its leader Kim Jong Un.

At the end of a meeting between the two in Russia on Wednesday, "Kim Jong Un courteously invited Putin to visit the DPRK at a convenient time", according to KCNA, which referred to the country by its official name.

"Putin accepted the invitation with pleasure and reaffirmed his will to invariably carry forward the history and tradition of the Russia-DPRK friendship." — AFP  

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is travelling to Russia by armored train early Tuesday to meet President Vladimir Putin, Pyongyang reported, with face-to-face talks potentially focused on weapon sales.

Experts suggest Putin is seeking artillery shells and antitank missiles from North Korea for Moscow's war in Ukraine, while Kim is reportedly in search of advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, as well as food aid for his impoverished nation.

Kim "left here by his train on Sunday afternoon to visit the Russian Federation" and was accompanied by senior figures in the Communist Party, the government and military agencies, the official Korean Central News Agency reports. — AFP

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expects to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Russia to discuss providing arms to Moscow for its war in Ukraine, the United States says.

The announcement comes after the White House last week warned that Russia was already in secret, active talks with the North to acquire a range of munitions and supplies for Moscow's war effort.

"As we have warned publicly, arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing," National Security Council (NSC) spokeswoman Adrienne Watson says, using an acronym for the North. — AFP

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday says that the United States believes Russia's defense minister is in North Korea to secure supplies of weapons to aid the stalled invasion of Ukraine.

Following Sergei Shoigu's arrival on a rare trip to Pyongyang, Blinken says that Russia is scrambling to buy arms from allies across the world.

"I strongly doubt he's there on holiday," Blinken tells reporters in Australia. — AFP

State media says Kim Jong Un met the Russian defence minister and a high-ranking Chinese delegation in Pyongyang ahead of major Korean War anniversary celebrations, the leader's first known foreign guests since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kim had "a friendly talk" with Moscow's Sergei Shoigu, who gave Kim "an autographed letter" from Russian President Vladimir Putin, the official Korean Central News Agency reports.

Ahead of a "grand performance" for the Thursday anniversary, he also met a Chinese delegation led by politburo member Li Hongzhong, who "courteously handed to the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un a personal letter sent by Xi Jinping," KCNA said, referring to the Chinese president.  — AFP

State media says that North Korea rolled out the red carpet for the Russian defense minister, with delegations from Moscow and Beijing set to attend Korean War anniversary events, the country's first known foreign visitors since its pandemic border closure.

Pyongyang on Thursday will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the signing of the July 27, 1953 Korean War armistice, which ended open hostilities and is marked as Victory Day in the North.

The Russian national anthem blared throughout Pyongyang International Airport, which was "wrapped up in a warm welcome atmosphere" to greet Moscow's Sergei Shoigu and his delegation Tuesday evening, the Korean Central News Agency says. — AFP

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offered his country's "full support and solidarity" to Moscow in a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, state media reported.

Kim sent the message of congratulations on the national day of Russia, one of a handful of nations that maintain friendly relations with Pyongyang.

His message, published by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), did not directly mention the invasion of Ukraine or Moscow's involvement in an armed conflict, but praised Putin's "correct decision and guidance... to foil the hostile forces' escalating threats".

The North Korean people, it added, extend "full support and solidarity to the Russian people in their all-out struggle for implementing the sacred cause to preserve the sovereign rights, development and interests of their country against the imperialists' high-handed and arbitrary practices." — AFP

North Korea is holding a Russian fishing ship with a crew of 15 Russians and two South Koreans since detaining it last week, the Russian embassy in Pyongyang says. 

North Korean border guards took control of the ship belonging to the Russian North-Eastern Fishing Company on July 17. 

"According to the North Korean foreign ministry, the ship was detained for 'violating rules of entry and stay'" in North Korea, the embassy says on its Facebook page. — AFP

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un leaves the Russian city of Vladivostok after a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin where the two vowed to pursue closer ties.

Kim took part in a departure ceremony at Vladivostok station before his armoured train departed around 0530 GMT.

Kim and Putin met in the Far Eastern port of Vladivostok for their first face-to-face talks. — AFP

Kim Jong Un invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit North Korea, and the offer was "readily accepted", state media in Pyongyang said Friday.

Kim asked Putin to visit North Korea "at a convenient time" during their summit talks in Vladivostok on Thursday, the Korean Central News Agency reported, and "the invitation was readily accepted".

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says he had "very meaningful" talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the two met for the first time. 

"We have just had a very meaningful exchange of views on issues of mutual interest," Kim says after nearly two hours of one-on-one talks. — AFP

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says he was looking to develop his country's traditional ties with Russia as he met President Vladimir Putin for the first time.

"I think it will be a very useful meeting in developing the relationship between the two countries, who have a long friendship and history, into a more stable and sound one," Kim says as the talks began in Russia's Far East.

"As the world is focused on the Korean peninsula, I think we will hold a very meaningful dialogue." — AFP

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meet  for the start of their first-ever talks.

Kim and Putin shake hands as they began the meeting in Russia's Far Eastern port city of Vladivostok. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meet for their first-ever summit, with the visitor looking for Moscow's backing in his nuclear stand-off with the United States.

The meeting on Russky island near the Pacific port of Vladivostok in Russia will be Kim's first face-to-face talks with another head of state since returning from his Hanoi summit with US President Donald Trump, which broke down without a deal on the North's nuclear arsenal in February. — AFP

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrives by train in the Far Eastern Russian city of Vladivostok for his first summit with President Vladimir Putin. 

Kim steps out of his armoured train and onto a red-carpet laid out on the platform before walking into the main building of the port city's train station, according to images shown on Russian television. — AFP

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said after crossing into Russia on Wednesday that he was looking forward to having a useful and successful summit with President Vladimir Putin. 

"I hope that this visit will be successful and useful, and I hope that during the talks... I will be able to have concrete discussions on resolving situations on the Korean Peninsula and on the development of our bilateral relationship," Kim told Russian television in Khasan where his train crossed the border. — AFP

With Russia's Vladimir Putin set for his first talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this month, Moscow is eyeing a major role in yet another global flashpoint.

The situation on the Korean peninsula seemed to be stabilising after a historic meeting between Kim and US President Donald Trump last year, at which they both backed de-nuclearisation. 

But a second round of talks ended in failure and Pyongyang this week says it was testing weapons again.  

Now Putin, who has long expressed his readiness to meet with Kim, is gearing up to play a bigger role in nuclear negotiations with Moscow's Cold War-era ally, with which it shares a short border. — AFP