The visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea is “in preparation,” the Kremlin announced on Friday.
The two countries, both heavily sanctioned by the West, have strengthened their ties since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with North Korea being accused of sending weapons to Russia.
“President Putin has an active invitation for an official visit to North Korea. The visit is in preparation. We will announce the dates of the visit in due course,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media.
According to South Korean intelligence services, North Korea has supplied Russia with millions of artillery shells to support its offensive in exchange for food deliveries.
Washington and Kyiv have also accused Russia of firing North Korea-supplied ballistic missiles at Ukraine.
Last year, in a rare overseas trip, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Russia for a summit with Putin in the Far East to solidify their deepening ties.
Putin last visited Pyongyang in 2000, just a few months after taking office in the Kremlin. At that time, he met with Kim Jong Il, the father of Kim Jong Un.
In recent years, the Russian president has also reduced his international trips, both due to the COVID-19 pandemic and because Russia has become more isolated following its deployment of troops in Ukraine, RSE writes.
