US Official: Kim Jong Un to Visit Vladimir Putin for Arms Talks

(Patria) - North Korean official Kim Jong Un plans to travel to Russia this month to meet with President Vladimir Putin, a US official said, according to the BBC.

The two leaders will discuss the possibility of North Korea supplying weapons to Moscow to support the ongoing war in Ukraine, the official said. The exact location of the planned meeting is unknown. Kim is likely to travel by armored train, sources told the New York Times.

The potential meeting comes after the White House said it had new information that arms negotiations between the two countries were “actively advancing”.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Russia's defense minister recently traveled to North Korea to “try to persuade Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition” to Russia.

Putin and Kim have since exchanged letters in which they “pledged to increase their bilateral cooperation,” he said.

“We call on the DPRK to cease arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments Pyongyang has made not to supply or sell arms to Russia,” Kirby said, using the acronym for North Korea.

He warned that the United States would take action, including imposing sanctions, if North Korea supplies Russia with weapons, he said. The meeting could take place in the city of Vladivostok, on Russia's east coast, the New York Times writes.

Pyongyang and Moscow have previously denied that North Korea is supplying Russia with weapons for use in the war in Ukraine.