This is a visit that will be particularly scrutinized: Vladimir Putin will be in North Korea on June 18 and 19. Americans and Europeans have been particularly concerned for months about the accelerated rapprochement of these two countries, which they perceive as threats, accusing the North Koreans of delivering munitions to Russia for its war against Ukraine in exchange for assistance. technological, diplomatic and food.
2 mins
From our correspondent in Moscow,
The images of Kim Jong-un lingering for a long time in the Russian Far East aboard his armored train had toured the world last September. For the usual return visit, the Kremlin is upping the stakes even further. The diplomatic advisor of Vladimir Poutinethus presented the trip of the Russian head of state as “ a strong moment » for both countries.
Yuri Ushakov even mentioned the signing of a “ global strategic partnership agreement “. Kim Jong-un’s visit to Russia nine months ago was, in any case, officially concluded without an agreement. But in March, Russia used its veto at the UN Security Council to end monitoring of violations of international sanctions targeting the North Koreaa major gift to Pyongyang.
Desire for strategic rapprochement
The coupling of the two leaders arouses nervousness among Westerners and the two heads of state visibly intend to play on it: the Kremlin has also announced statements to the press and has already detailed the content of a Russian delegation whose composition in fact signals a desire for strategic rapprochement: the head of diplomacy, the Minister of Defense, two Deputy Prime Ministers and even the head of the Roscosmos space agency.
Another signal: ahead of this presidential visit, several senior Russian officials had traveled to Pyongyang, including the head of the foreign intelligence services, Sergei Naryshkin. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui was in Moscow in January.
The Russian president will then visit Vietnam, another partner of Russia from the Soviet era, on June 19 and 20.