North Korea said yesterday that leader Kim Jong Un would visit Russia and meet its President, Vladimir Putin, with the leader's armoured train reportedly on its way to the border.
Specialists propose that Putin is looking for weaponry 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 nation.
Kim "will soon visit the Russian Federation at the invitation of ... Putin," North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said.
"The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un will meet and have a talk with Comrade Putin during the visit," it added. The Kremlin also confirmed yesterday that Kim would visit Russia "in the coming days".
The declaration ended times of speculation after US and other officials told The New York Times at the weekend that Kim, who rarely leaves North Korea, was likely to head by armoured train to Vladivostok for arms talks with Putin.
Kim has not travelled outside North Korea since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The White House warned last week that Pyongyang would "pay a price" if it supplied Moscow with weaponry for its war in Ukraine.