Vladimir Putin has arrived in North Korea for a summit with Kim Jong-un, amid US warnings against any agreement that could add to military pressure on Ukraine and raise tensions on the Korean peninsula. Both countries have denied striking an arms deal during their summit nine months ago, but on the eve of his reciprocal visit Putin thanked Kim’s government for its support. “Their closest friends and the biggest supporters of the Russian war effort – war of aggression – [are] North Korea, Iran and China,” he said. North Korea also appears to have been preparing for a possible military parade in Pyongyang, commercial satellite imagery showed. In return, Bennett added, North Korea will want “Russia to provide a variety of advanced technologies” and “a substantial flow of Russian oil and food products, along with hard currency payments”.

Source: The Guardian June 18, 2024 19:49 UTC