The last moment of the war in Ukraine

Vladimir Putin said Russia is considering and discussing some form of military cooperation with North Korea, following a summit in which North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared to support Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

The leaders met at the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia’s far east, where both countries face international isolation.

Moscow needs New supplies of ammunition and shells More than 18 months of war in Ukraine have left its military forces in decline, while North Korea, facing years of international sanctions over its nuclear weapons program, lacks everything from money and food to missile technology.

This is what happened at the summit:

Kim showed his support for the Russian invasion: Without mentioning Ukraine by name, Kim said that “the Russian army and its people will inherit the magnificent tradition of victory” and cement their reputation on the front lines of the “military operation,” the euphemism Moscow uses to describe its illegal invasion of Ukraine. .

“I will always stand with Russia,” Kim said, praising Moscow for “standing against hegemonic powers” ​​to defend its sovereignty and security, in an implicit reference to the United States and the West.

What does North Korea want in return?: Putin expressed his readiness to help North Korea develop its space and space program. North Korea has made space technology a priority, but it still has a long way to go: this year it tried to put a spy satellite into orbit, but failed twice.

Kim also highlighted the role of military satellites as a means of protecting national security and regional stability, and spoke of their strategic value in proactively deploying military forces, according to reports. Government media North Koreans in April.

Providing this technology to North Korea would violate international sanctions, which are intended to hinder Pyongyang’s ability to build a fully operational nuclear weapons and ballistic missile force.

The meeting took place at the space centerDuring the visit, the two leaders inspected the complex where Russia plans to launch the next generation of spacecraft. The facilities were built to receive launch vehicles and carry out pre-launch preparations, launch operations and post-launch operations, TASS news agency reported.

“The meeting at Russia’s eastern spaceport is particularly provocative because it suggests that Putin may offer sanctions-violating satellite launch technology in exchange for North Korean munitions that Moscow will use in its illegal war in Ukraine,” said Leif Eric, a professor at CNN University. . International Studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

North Korea launches ballistic missilesSouth Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said that hours before the summit, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the waters off the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula.

According to analysts, it is unusual for Pyongyang to conduct a launch while Kim is out of the country. North Korea may seek to “demonstrate that the military maintains its readiness through uninterrupted command and control,” Easley said.