Possibility of North Korea-Russia Summit... Kremlin Palace Says "Nothing to Say"

Putin to Attend Main Session of the Eastern Economic Forum on the 12th

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un is reportedly visiting Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin to discuss arms exports, while Russian authorities have stated that they "have nothing to say" regarding the possibility of a North Korea-Russia summit.

On the 5th (local time), according to local media such as Sputnik and TASS, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, said regarding the possibility of a North Korea-Russia summit reported by Western media including the New York Times (NYT) the previous day, "We have nothing to say about this." When reporters asked Peskov to confirm whether discussions were underway for a summit between Chairman Kim and President Putin, he refused to comment, saying, "We cannot confirm."

The previous day, the NYT and others reported, citing U.S. and allied officials, that Chairman Kim would visit Russia this month to meet President Putin. It was reported that Chairman Kim would travel by train from Pyongyang, North Korea, to Vladivostok, Russia, to hold talks with President Putin.

Recently, the U.S. White House announced that negotiations on arms deals between North Korea and Russia have been progressing, including exchanges of letters between Chairman Kim and President Putin. John Kirby, White House National Security Council (NSC) Strategic Communications Coordinator, stated in a phone briefing last week that high-level talks related to military cooperation between the two countries are "actively progressing."

The Kremlin spokesperson confirmed that President Putin is scheduled to attend the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) held in Vladivostok on the 12th, where the possibility of a meeting between Chairman Kim and President Putin has been raised, and that final arrangements are underway. If Chairman Kim visits Russia, it is widely expected that he will travel by special train to the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, where the EEF will be held from the 10th to the 13th of this month, and then hold talks with President Putin.

Peskov stated that the EEF plenary session will be held on the 12th and that President Putin is expected to attend. However, he said, "Final arrangements are underway. Please wait a few days," indicating that the president's attendance schedule is not yet confirmed. He added, "As always, it will be a busy schedule. I can only say that the plenary session will be held on the 12th at 3 p.m. Vladivostok time," and "Interesting discussions are expected."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

At last year's EEF event held from September 5 to 8, President Putin personally attended the plenary session on the 7th, delivered a speech, and held talks with key figures from various countries. On the 31st of last month, Peskov mentioned, "Russia and North Korea maintain a good, mutually respectful relationship and seek to further develop it," adding, "Contacts are being made at various levels." At that time, he also did not separately confirm the U.S. announcement that President Putin and Chairman Kim had exchanged letters.

Meanwhile, Peskov explained that the purpose of the summit between President Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an held in Sochi, Russia, the previous day was to exchange views on the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and that there were no plans to reach a specific agreement.

The summit between President Putin and President Erdo?an was expected to discuss the resumption of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which guarantees Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea, but President Putin reiterated his existing position that "if all agreed terms are fulfilled, it will be implemented immediately."

Peskov emphasized, "The Black Sea Grain Initiative is a multilateral process," adding, "Since the West refuses to comply with the terms of the agreement, making it unsustainable, it is impossible to reach a specific agreement through bilateral discussions between Russia and Turkey."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.