(Seoul) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Wednesday praised the “unwavering” ties between Pyongyang and Moscow, ahead of an expected visit by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to North Korea against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.
According to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, Mr. Putin could visit North Korea “as early as next week,” nine months after Mr. Kim made a rare visit to the neighboring country in September to meet the Russian president. .
The two nations have developed “unwavering bonds of brothers in arms,” the North Korean head of state said in a message to Mr. Putin on Wednesday to mark the Russian National Day.
“Our people express their full support and solidarity for the sacred cause of the Russian army and people, who are moving resolutely towards justice and truth,” he added in this statement relayed by the press agency North Korean official KCNA.
The West accuses Pyongyang of supplying arms to Russia for its war in Ukraine in exchange for help in developing its satellite programme.
However, no agreement was officially signed during Mr Kim’s visit to the Russian Far East in September and Pyongyang called the allegations “absurd”.
But the Pentagon said at the end of May that analyzes of debris from ballistic missiles used by Russia in Ukraine confirmed their North Korean origin.
In mid-May, the Kremlin confirmed that a visit by Mr. Putin to North Korea was “in preparation” and would be announced “in due course.”
According to Yonhap, satellite images show the installation in the heart of Pyongyang of a “large structure” likely to be used for the reception of the Russian leader. Mr. Putin would then be likely to go to Vietnam, according to this source.
According to experts, the two countries could agree during this visit to further strengthen their exchanges.
Mr. Putin “needs help in his war effort, and Kim wants to develop his military program,” notes Soo Kim, former analyst at the American intelligence agency CIA, to AFP.