The west is closely watching the ongoing meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his host President Vladimir Putin at a Far East spaceport.
According to local Russian media, the two leaders told reporters they saw “possibilities” for military cooperation.
Moscow is currently pressing on in its special military operation in neighbouring Ukraine.
Kim Jong Un told President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday he was sure Russia would win a “great victory” over its enemies.
“We are confident that the Russian army and people will win a great victory in the just fight to punish evil groups who pursue hegemony, expansion, and ambition,” Kim told Putin, raising a toast during an official dinner following one-on-one talks.
Kim also praised the “heroic” Russian army in comments that news agencies sponsored by Moscow interpreted as relating specifically to Moscow’s large-scale military operation in Ukraine.
Putin meanwhile praised “the future strengthening of cooperation and friendship between our countries,” while hosting Kim at a Far East spaceport, and later told reporters he saw “possibilities” for military cooperation with North Korea.
He had earlier said Moscow could help Pyongyang build satellites and suggested the countries might also discuss military cooperation.
“We will always be with Russia,” Kim said, according to footage broadcast on Russian TV.
“An old friend is better than two new ones,” Putin said, quoting a Russian proverb and referencing the Soviet Union’s role in the Korean War.
Their talks as well as discussions with delegations lasted around two hours before the leaders proceeded to the official dinner in Kim’s honor.
Kim will later oversee a display of the potential of Russia’s Pacific fleet in Vladivostok, Putin announced.
While Kim was in Russia, Pyongyang fired two ballistic missiles on Wednesday, the South Korean military said, the latest in a string of sanctions-busting tests.
Experts say Russia will likely use the talks to seek artillery shells and antitank missiles from North Korea, which wants advanced satellite and nuclear-powered submarine technology in return.
Kim, who traveled overland to Russia in his bullet-proof train, was accompanied by an entourage that suggested the summit would have a strong military focus.
Among the top military officials accompanying Kim were Korean People’s Army Marshal Pak Jong Chon and Munitions Industry Department Director Jo Chun Ryong, according to the North’s state media.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu took part in the talks with Kim, as did Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, images on Russian state television showed.
Ahead of the announcement of the talks, Russian news agencies published images of Kim and Putin touring the vast space center.
“The leader of the DPRK shows great interest in rocket technology, and they are trying to develop (their presence in) space,” Putin said, referring to North Korea by its official name.
