Kim Jong-un promises to support Putin in his "holy war" against the West in exchange for help with his satellite program

The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong-un, held a bilateral meeting this Wednesday at the Vostochny cosmodrome, in the Siberian Amur region, where for an hour they discussed issues such as the supply of weapons and military technology. North Korean to Russia for the war in Ukraine or Russian support for the Asian leader's satellite program. The agenda of the meeting included bilateral relations and cooperation, commercial and economic ties, as well as cultural exchanges, international and regional affairs, among other topics described as “sensitive” by the Kremlin.

The face to face was framed in a summit that lasted a total of four hours and in which there was also a banquet based on duck salad and white wine and in which Putin acted as 'seller' of the Russian limousines. Aurus, in which he and other senior officials usually travel.

Russian television showed images of the two leaders saying goodbye. In the video, broadcast by the Rossiya 1 channel, Putin was seen waving goodbye to Kim, who was in his official car, about to leave the cosmodrome facilities.

Previously, the North Korean leader was convinced of Russia's victory in the “special military operation” in Ukraine and the “building of a strong state”. “I am convinced that the heroic Russian Army and people, who brilliantly inherited the traditions of victory, will demonstrate dignity and honor on two fronts: in the special military operation and in the building of a strong state,” Kim said when speaking during lunch a toast to the “new victories of great Russia.”

For its part, Russia assured that there is room for military and space cooperation with North Korea. Putin stressed on public television that “there are perspectives” in the military-technical field, although Russia complies with its international obligations, alluding to the sanctions that restrict arms exchanges with Pyongyang. In turn, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov stressed that Moscow has raised with North Korea “the possibility of cooperating in the space sector.”

Regarding the content of his conversations with Putin, Kim said that both discussed in a “deep” manner the “political and military situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Europe.”

“Russia has now risen up in a sacred war for the defense of its sovereignty and security. “We have always supported and continue to support all of President Putin's decisions,” Kim told Putin at the beginning of the negotiations.. “I hope we will always be together in the fight against imperialism,” stressed the North Korean president, adding that relations with Moscow are Pyongyang's “highest priority.”

“We will stimulate the construction of strong states in our countries and maintain true international stability,” added the North Korean.. “Our current visit comes at a time of fierce confrontation in the international arena between the progressive and the reactionary, between justice and injustice, as well as the construction of a multipolar world,” Kim said.

Putin, for his part, assured that Moscow and Pyongyang will continue to strengthen their friendship for the sake of “peace, stability and well-being” in the region.

The Russian president showed the Vostochny cosmodrome to his North Korean counterpart, of whom the Russian president praised his “great interest in rockets”. “They are trying to develop a space industry,” stressed the host president, hinting that Moscow could help Pyongyang in the development of North Korean satellites, after two failed launches this year.. “One old friend is better than two new ones,” was the Russian proverb that Putin cited.

The banquet minutes

At the beginning of his meeting with the head of the Kremlin, the North Korean leader had already declared his support for Russia's “holy struggle” for its sovereignty and security. “We have always supported and we support all of President Putin's decisions,” he assured, and trusted that his current visit, his second to Russia in four years, will raise bilateral relations to a new level.

The summit included a lunch in which Putin entertained Kim Jong-un with a menu based on duck salad, sturgeon with mushrooms and other delicacies, accompanied by blended white wine and a cabernet sauvignon, both from the Russian house Divnomórskyoe.

As starters, the Kremlin's gastronomic proposal included duck salad with figs and nectarine, and Kamchatka crab dumplings.

Carp soup was served next, followed by sea buckthorn berry sorbet. The menu included two main course options: sturgeon with mushrooms and potatoes, and marble fillet entrecôte with roasted vegetables. For dessert the choice fell on a selection of cranberries with cedar pine nuts and condensed milk.

Kim was also interested in the Russian Aurus limousines, luxury cars whose cost exceeds $300,000 and in which Putin and other high officials usually travel, and which the Russian president constantly praised, 'selling' the benefits of the Russian automobile sector. , which seeks to stay afloat after Western sanctions and after the vast majority of foreign manufacturers left the country following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Kim traveled to Russia with a delegation that includes the defense and foreign ministers, as well as senior military officials, including the director of the Industrial Department of Munitions and also the secretary for Science and Education of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party. which is linked to the North Korean space program. On the Russian side, the Foreign and Defense Ministers, Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu, among other senior officials, participated in the meeting.. The previous meeting between Putin and Kim, which also took place in 2019 in Russia, lasted three and a half hours.