Putin tries to 'sell' Kim Jong-un on the benefits of the luxurious Russian Aurus limousines, which cost $300,000

The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, acted this Wednesday as a “seller” of the Russian Aurus limousines, in which he and other senior officials usually travel, to the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, whom he made sit next to him in one of those cars that make up the official Russian caravan.

Russian journalist Pável Zarubin, from the public television channel Rossía-1, who is part of the group of journalists that accompanies Putin on all trips, published a video on his Telegram channel in which he can see how Kim sits in the back of an Aurus and Putin accompanies him.

Surrounded by dozens of bodyguards, upon exiting the limousine, Putin explains the details of this Russian luxury car, whose cost exceeds $300,000.

The head of the Kremlin pointed out the day before at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok that Aurus cars will cost half as much when they fully enter the Russian market, since only a few units are produced for now.

Putin has taken on the mission of promoting exclusively Russian-made cars in the face of Western sanctions, which prevent the export of cars to Russia and the supply of spare parts and essential technology for the sector.

Furthermore, he has insisted that officials must use national cars, even if they are more modest than foreign ones, as he repeated the day before.

In the last year, Russia has promoted its own manufacturing of brands such as the Lada and Moskvich, which had been discontinued in 2002.

After the start of the Russian war in Ukraine in February 2022, the vast majority of foreign car manufacturers that had factories in Russia left the country, prompting the Russian automotive sector to take measures to stay afloat.

Just four days after Russian troops entered Ukraine, Renault suspended the activities of its companies in Russia, followed by Volvo Trucks and Volkswagen – the latter two with plants in Kaluga – and Toyota, with a factory in Saint Petersburg.

Before the war, the Russian automobile sector generated direct or indirect employment for more than 3.5 million Russians.