Russian President Vladimir Putin presented his North Korean friend Kim Jong-un with a car. It is another sign of thawing relations between the two countries, which is causing concern in the United States.
The Russian-made car, the make and model of which has not been disclosed to the public, was delivered on February 18 to Kim Jong-un’s top aides for “his personal use,” according to CNN citing the North Korean news agency KCNA.
Kim’s sister Kim Jo Jong thanked Vladimir Putin on behalf of her brother, saying that “the gift is a clear indication of the special relationship between the top leaders (of North Korea and Russia).”
According to the American media, Putin’s gift should constitute a violation of United Nations sanctions imposed on North Korea for its nuclear weapons development program, which prohibits the delivery of all “transport vehicles” to North Korea. That hasn’t stopped Kim from using high-end vehicles in the past.
According to the Washington-based Center for Advanced Defense Studies, Pyongyang imported more than 800 luxury vehicles between 2015 and 2017 alone — most from Russian companies. Kim Jong-un is believed to have an extensive collection of high-end cars, and has been spotted in luxury models such as the Mercedes-Maybach S600, Rolls-Royce Phantom and Lexus LX 570.
According to CNN, US intelligence agencies are increasingly concerned about the long-term ramifications of what appears to be a new level of strategic partnership between North Korea and Russia. Russia has repeatedly fired North Korean-supplied short-range ballistic missiles at Ukrainian targets in recent weeks.
In January, senior North Korean and Russian diplomats met in Moscow ahead of – according to North Korean state media – Putin’s upcoming visit to Pyongyang – his first in more than 20 years. Kim, however, visited Russia last September, where he supported the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine, saying: “I will always be with Russia.”, Klix.ba writes.
