Putin and Kim seek stronger ties amid sanctions | DW News

Putin and Kim seek stronger ties amid sanctions | DW News

meanwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in the North Korean capital pongyang to meet leader Kim Jong-un it’s a rare visit to the isolated Nation by a head of state Putin is believed to be seeking more Munitions for his war against Ukraine for Kim it’s a chance to cultivate a powerful Ally against the US and South Korea the Russian president is in North Korea after 24 years a visit that reflects North Kore Korea’s growing strategic importance for Russia North Korea is believed to be providing badly needed weapons for Russia’s war in Ukraine a motivation for Putin to keep the country close pongyang is also embracing the Russian leader with open arms as Putin expands cooperation with the leader who faces isolation from the West Russia and North Korea deny traing arms which is banned under United Nations sanctions but Western officials claim in return for weapons Moscow is delivering technology for North Korean missile and nuclear programs a situation that is ringing alarm bells in the west Putin’s visits to North Korea demonstrates and confirms the very close alignment between Russia and authoritarian States like North Korea uh but also China and uh and Iran and um this also demonstrates that our security is not Regional it’s it’s Global what happens in Europe uh matters for Asia what happens in Asia matters for us Russia try uh in desperation to develop and to strengthen relations with countries that can provide it with what it needs to continue the war of aggression that has started against Ukraine uh North Korea is providing significant Munitions to uh to Russia but it’s a criticism that Moscow ignores we believe that our right to develop good relations with our neighbors should not be a concern to anyone and it cannot and should not be challenged by anyone pongyang and Moscow were cold war allies the relationship detated after the disintegration of the Soviet Union but Western isolation has brought them close again Russia because of its war in Ukraine and North Korea because of its ambitious nuclear weapon program that’s making many Western Powers extremely anxious and we’re now joined by Henry haget a former senior State Department official who lived in sou in South Korea for more than 10 years and also went on several diplomatic missions to North Korea Henry Kim Jong-un receives a prominent guest will he emerge stronger from this meeting I mean Kim will definitely get a boost for uh for this having this visit this is a big deal for him it shows uh and he’s really looking to leverage all the aid that he has given to Russia but I think the more important part of this visit is a Clear Choice by Putin to institutionalize his International isolation to institutionalize his choice to partner with parah Nations like North Korea now what is Kim hoping to get out of this uh deepening his deepening ties with Putin he’s really looking to get maximize uh and standardized Aid in response or in in exchange for the Munitions that he has provided he’s looking for food Aid energy Aid and support for his satellite programs and otherwise he’s looking to as he stand as he institutionalizes this relationship with Russia he can uh look to avoid over alliance with China in the coming years and it really can this uh and hope to boost his domestic standing by having a major quote unquote major power like Russia coming and seen to be being shown to be a partner now Putin has praised pang’s support of its war in Ukraine what kind of support has Moscow received from Pyongyang so far is it very important for the war effort it is significant uh as you’ve seen in the Press reports they’ve talked of hundreds of thousands of metric tons of Munitions and related material this is uh critical for both on artillery and ballistic missiles it’s critical for Russia to continue its illegal and barbaric war in Ukraine so North Korea knows how critical its support is and is really going to m Kim is going to be looking to maximize its return on that investment so I expect that uh uh Kim will pledge further Aid because there are millions in millions of artillery rounds in North Korea so I expect he will pledge more of that and he will look to maximize and but more than maximize look to institutionalize this Aid so we can have a clear partner in Russia clear source of aid over the coming years that will again as I said help balance and avoid an over Reliance on China and especially on South Korea or the West now this sounds increasing like increasingly like this could be a partnership on level sorry between Putin and Kim yes sure I I think that’s exactly right they’re looking to sign as opposed to just having uh informal or ad hoc uh meetings a train meeting here a phone call there uh they’re really hoping I’m sure that Kim is is looking very much forward to the types of treaties on trade space uh technology military to come out of this in a much stronger position and a much formal more formal position and again all of that just underscores Russia’s Clear Choice to turn away from the International System and these two partners while they’re trading in this in this Summit they’re trading uh technology and weapons in order to wage an illegal war and in order to destabilize and threaten its neighbors in North Korea while that’s happening you look across down across the 38th parallel and South Korea working with Japan the United States other allies and partners to increase and Advance Security and prosperity so it’s really really a stark contrast that this Summit lays out now you mentioned that Kim is Keen to reduce its reli his Reliance on on China What’s China’s position to this so I I’m again speculation here but I I expect China is uh you know holding its nose and and it will it doesn’t have a doesn’t have a a veto as it were um but I I assume that they are looking at this with their usual uh kind of uh not not disdain but they they they’re not really always a fan of what pongyang is up to the pongyang Beijing uh partnership is is a tricky one and I think this will make it even trickier Andre Hager former senior State Department official thank you very much thank you

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in the North Korean capital Pyongyang to meet leader Kim Jong Un. It’s a rare visit to the isolated nation by a head of state. Putin is believed to be seeking more munitions for his war against Ukraine. For Kim, it’s a chance to cultivate a powerful ally against the US and South Korea.

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/user/deutschewelleenglish?sub_confirmation=1

For more news go to: http://www.dw.com/en/
Follow DW on social media:
►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deutschewellenews/
►Twitter: https://twitter.com/dwnews
►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwnews
►Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/dwnews_hangout
Für Videos in deutscher Sprache besuchen Sie: https://www.youtube.com/dwdeutsch

#Russia #Putin #KimJongUn