Russian President Vladimir Putin met (Wednesday) with the ruler of North Korea Kim Jong Un, who came to visit the city of Vladivostok in the east of the country. During the meeting, the two leaders toured the Vostochny Cosmodrome space port, with Putin pledging to help North Korea build satellites to be sent into space.
In the documentation from the beginning of the meeting published in the Russian media, Putin is seen shaking Kim's hand and telling him: "I'm glad to see you." Kim, who was assisted by a translator throughout the meeting, thanked Putin for the invitation to Russia and his welcoming.
At the end of the meeting, Kim told the North Korean state news agency that "the visit to Russia was a clear demonstration of the strategic importance of the relationship between the two countries."
As you may recall, Kim arrived yesterday in Vladivostok on a special armored train that made its way from Pyongyang, when according to reports the decision to travel by train was made in light of the Korean leader's fear of flying. In footage posted on social media, Kim is seen getting off the train in Vladivostok, where he was greeted by soldiers from the Russian army and a military band.
State visits are considered a rare event for Kim Jong Un, who tends to stay in his reclusive country most of the time. The last time Kim left North Korea was in 2019, when also then the North Korean leader met with Putin in Vladivostok. The previous meeting of the two leaders was held against the background of the collapse of North Korea's talks with then US President Donald Trump, who met with Kim for the first time in order to promote a deal to denuclearize the country.