[Global Times Comprehensive Report] Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held talks at the Oriental Space Launch Site in Amur, Russia on the 13th. This is the first time that the two countries have held leaders’ talks since April 2019. Putin said that the cooperation with North Korea in the space field is the reason why he and Kim Jong-un came to the Eastern Launch Site. "North Korean leaders are very interested in rocket equipment and are also trying to develop space technology", while Russia "will help North Korea conduct space exploration and rocket construction". After the extensive talks between Russian and North Korean leaders and senior officials, Russian Presidential Press Secretary peskov told the media that the "all-round" relationship between Russia and North Korea "includes the exchange of views on military technical cooperation and security". Russian media believe that the meeting between Putin and Kim Jong-un is a signal to the United States and its allies, "let the United States, Japan and South Korea understand that they should not try to launch military provocations."
Kim Jong-un is "very interested" in rocket equipment
According to a report by RIA Novosti on the 13th, Putin held a welcoming ceremony for Kim Jong-un at the Oriental Space Launch Site and had a brief conversation. The two heads of state inspected the construction process of the launch pad of the angara rocket and the launcher of the Soyuz -2 rocket at the Oriental Space Launch Site. According to the report, Putin replied in response to a reporter’s question about whether Russia will help North Korea build artificial satellites. "This is why we came to the Eastern Launch Site. North Korean leaders are very interested in rocket equipment, and North Korea is also trying to develop space technology.". In addition, when Putin answered the question "whether he will discuss military technology cooperation with the North Korean leader", he said that he would "discuss all issues in sequence, and there is plenty of time" with the North Korean leader. The live video shows that during the visit, Kim Jong-un asked questions from time to time to the Russian interpreters. According to RIA Novosti, Kim Jong-un is "particularly interested in the operating principle, fuel characteristics and falling objects of launch vehicles".
Putin and Kim Jong-un then held formal talks. According to the Itar-Tass news agency reported on the 13th, the meeting place is located in the engineering workshop of the Soyuz -2 carrier rocket at the Eastern Space Launch Site. During the talks, Putin said that the meeting with Kim Jong-un coincided with the special time of the 75th anniversary of the founding of North Korea, and the Soviet Union was the first country to recognize North Korea. I hope to discuss economic cooperation, the situation on the peninsula and humanitarian issues at this meeting. Kim Jong-un said that developing relations with Russia is the priority direction of North Korea, and the DPRK will work with Russia to fight imperialism. North Korea supports all Russian decisions and hopes to continue to develop bilateral relations. Russian satellite news agency said that the Russian delegation attending the talks included three deputy prime ministers, Foreign Minister Lavrov, Defense Minister shoigu, Transport Minister Savilev and Minister of Natural Resources kozlov.
Itar-Tass reported that after extensive talks between the two sides, Putin and Kim Jong-un held one-on-one talks and had lunch together, which lasted for more than five hours. Peskov said that after the talks, the leaders of Russia and the DPRK will not sign any documents such as the joint declaration. After the talks, Putin said that the Russian Federation abides by its international obligations, but it is possible to cooperate within the framework of rules. In addition, he and Kim Jong-un also discussed the development of agricultural relations. Putin revealed that Kim Jong-un will next visit Komsomolsk-on-Amur to visit factories that produce civilian and military equipment.
Putin and Kim Jong-un attended a formal banquet after their talks. The banquet dishes included duck fig nectarine salad, Kamchatka crab jiaozi, grass carp fish soup, sturgeon with mushrooms and potatoes, beef ribs with roasted vegetables and so on.
It is worth noting that the South Korean Joint Staff Headquarters said on the 13th that North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles from Shun ‘an area in Pyongyang from 11: 43 am to 11: 53 am that day. The missiles flew about 650 kilometers respectively and then fell into the eastern waters of the Korean Peninsula. The Japanese side also notified the relevant launch actions and said that it had lodged a strong protest with the DPRK. Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Unification, believes that it is the first time for North Korea to launch missiles during the top leader’s visit, which shows the confidence of the leader in maintaining the military readiness during his visit.
Why did the talks take place at the space launch site?
"The location of the meeting place between Putin and Kim Jong-un is of great significance." On 13th, CNN quoted easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha Women’s University in South Korea, as saying that the new generation of Russian spacecraft will be launched from the Oriental Space Launch Site. Choosing this meeting place shows that Russia may provide satellite launching technology to North Korea in exchange for providing arms to Russia. South Korea’s "Central Daily News" said that South Korean public opinion is generally worried that there will be some kind of weapons transaction between the DPRK and Russia with complementary interests. North Korea may provide Russia with conventional weapons such as howitzers and mortar shells that the Russian army is waiting for, and ask Russia to transfer core technologies such as intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear-powered submarines and reconnaissance satellites that North Korea urgently needs. The American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said that if Russia and North Korea really reach an arms agreement, it will be easy to implement, and the relevant transportation delivery can be quickly delivered to each other’s territory through the railway line between North Korea’s Luojin and Russian Far East Hassan.
"North Korea has given up its efforts to improve relations with the United States in the past 30 years and should start a new era of relations with Russia?" South Korea’s "Jingxiang News" said on the 13th that with the Russian-DPRK leaders’ talks held at the Russian Oriental Space Launch Site, some analysts believe that this seems to mean that North Korea has given up the normalization of relations with the United States that it has been promoting for the past 30 years and entered a new era with close substantive relations with Russia. Nan Chengxu, a former South Korean intelligence official, said that Russia is facing a situation of insufficient weapons stocks, and North Korea is facing joint military pressure from the United States, Japan and South Korea. Therefore, military cooperation is "win-win" for the DPRK and Russia and fully conforms to the interests of both sides. The Russian "Life" news network reported on the 13th that Jin Yongyong, a scholar of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that the meeting between Putin and Kim Jong-un was a signal to the United States and its allies not to let the situation in East Asia deteriorate. "Russia and the DPRK are in the same trench in the struggle against the unipolar world. Let the United States, Japan and South Korea understand that they should not try to launch military provocations."
"Russia is ready for a long war"
On the occasion of the talks between the leaders of Russia and the DPRK, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is still deadlocked. RIA Novosti reported on the 13th that Lazwozayev, mayor of Sevastopol, the Black Sea port, posted on social media that on the morning of the 13th local time, an air strike launched by Ukraine in Crimea caused a fire at Sevastopol Shipyard, and at least 24 people were injured. The Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukraine launched 10 cruise missiles at Sevastopol, 7 of which were intercepted and two Russian ships were damaged. In addition, three Ukrainian unmanned boats were also destroyed. The Wall Street Journal quoted satellite images as saying that the attacked Russian warships may be a Kilo-class submarine and a Luopu-class landing ship.
According to a report by the Ukrainian Independent News Agency on the 13th, the Russian army carried out a large-scale drone attack on the southern residential area of Odessa in the early morning. In four and a half hours, the Ukrainian air defense forces shot down 32 drones. Russian military attacks caused many injuries and damaged ports and civil infrastructure. Putin said in his speech on the 12th that Ukraine has no sincerity in peace talks. Ukraine will only talk about peace when manpower, equipment and ammunition are exhausted, and use any truce opportunity to "replenish resources and restore combat capability". Putin said that Russia is ready for a long war.
"The 567-day Russian-Ukrainian conflict has now become a proxy war between the ROK and the DPRK?" South Korea’s "Seoul News" said that if Russia and the DPRK reach an agreement on arms trade, then South Korea is also likely to implement large-scale military assistance to Ukraine. If Korea and North Korea are indirectly involved in the war by helping their allies again, the situation on the peninsula may fall into darkness.
[Special correspondent of Global Times in Russia and South Korea Xiao Xinxin Linsen Special correspondent of Global Times Liu Zhi Yu Xiang]