Kim Jong Un may meet Putin to discuss arms deal, US says

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may visit Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia to discuss a possible deal to supply Moscow with weapons for its war in Ukraine, the U.S. National Security Council says.

Negotiations between Moscow and Pyongyang are "actively advancing," after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited North Korea in July to try and convince the communist nation to sell Russia artillery ammunition, the security council said Monday.

"We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia," Adrienne Watson, the council's spokesperson, said, according to CNN.

Although no official has said when or where a potential meeting would take place in Russia, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service said Tuesday that it is "closely monitoring… the possibility of Kim Jong Un visiting Russia soon." 

When asked Tuesday about the potential meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "We have nothing to say on the subject."

Reports surfaced in September 2022 that North Korea had been exporting military equipment including rockets and artillery shells to Russia. North Korea denied the reports and said it did not have any plans to export such equipment. 

While North Korea has no formal diplomatic relations with the United States and it is already subject to numerous U.S. sanctions, a potential arms deal would violate United Nations resolutions and could bring more sanctions upon both Pyongyang and Moscow.

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