Arr, mates! Russia and North Korea officials be convenin' ferrr a 2-day summit in Pyongyang, raisin' suspicions 'mongst the Westerners 'bout an arms deal.
2023-10-19
Arrr, me hearties! The foreign ministers of Russia and North Korea didst meet in ol' Pyongyang for a jolly two-day summit this week, to show off their friendship and mayhaps gab about sharin' some military booty.
Russia's foreign ministers have traveled to North Korea to discuss boosting military ties, despite the recent accusation by the United States that North Korea violated international embargos by providing Russia with fresh munitions to support its war efforts in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov flew to Pyongyang for a two-day trip and joined his North Korean counterparts to solidify security cooperation. Lavrov also negotiated the timing of Russian President Vladimir Putin's promised trip to Pyongyang, reciprocating Kim Jong Un's visit to Russia last month. Lavrov stated that the relations between the two countries have reached a new strategic level after the historic summit between Putin and Kim. The North Korean foreign minister echoed this sentiment, saying that Pyongyang and Moscow were building an "unbreakable comradely relationship."During his visit, Lavrov thanked North Korea for its strong support for Russia's war on Ukraine, stating that only a few countries, like North Korea, openly express solidarity with Russia. The visit aimed to discuss the implementation of agreements reached at the September summit between Putin and Kim, although no details were immediately released. Kim's visit to Russia triggered speculation that he was seeking sophisticated Russian technologies to modernize North Korea's nuclear arsenal and ballistic capabilities in exchange for supplying conventional arms to Russia. The White House claimed that North Korea had delivered over 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia, providing alleged images as evidence. These containers were shipped between September 7 and October 1.
Overall, the trip by Russia's foreign ministers to North Korea signifies their intention to strengthen military ties, despite the accusations made by the United States. The visit also highlights the growing relationship between Russia and North Korea, with Lavrov praising North Korea's support for Russia's actions in Ukraine. The details of the discussions and agreements between the two countries are yet to be revealed. The White House's claim of North Korea's delivery of military equipment and munitions to Russia adds another layer of complexity to the situation and raises concerns about the proliferation of weapons.