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North Korea has been a lone wolf for a long time as it lacked true allies and faced sanctions from multiple countries. Although North Korea had China as its economic partner, China emerging as a superpower in the current world may have sparked insecurity in North Korea. Like their neighbor China, North Korea now feels the urgency to make a powerful ally and be part of the global superpower league. And of that urgency, Kim Jong Un, the reclusive leader of North Korea, made his first trip to Russia since before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Kim Jong Un traveled to Russia by his bulletproof train and reached far east of Russia on Tuesday, September 12th, a day ahead of time for his meeting with Vladimir Putin. The next day, Putin welcomed Kim for their meeting at VostochnyСosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia. On his trip to Russia, Kim Jong Un was accompanied by North Korean military officials, including those in charge of weapons production and space technology with the notable presence of Munitions Industry Department Director Jo Chun Ryong.

North Korea has always been a secluded country. As for Russia, after the war with Ukraine, has fallen under sanctions and has been isolated from the world as well. Both leaders held their meeting as the nature of their state, secluded, no Western journalists were invited to the summit. That said, most of the content of the meeting is likely to remain secret. However, the Russian media shed little light on the contents of the meeting. The leaders went on a tour of the cosmodrome's assembly and launch facilities, and Kim received a technical briefing on Russian spacecraft before the meeting. Meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, the most significant launch facility on Russian soil, and Putin giving a tour and brief instruction on rocket launching shows Kim is looking to Russia for assistance in creating military reconnaissance satellites. Kim and Putin discussed “all issues” at hand at the moment which can be from boosting military ties, possibly including joint drills, to Russian humanitarian aid to the North.

With the Ukraine-Russia war in the backdrop, the sudden Summit between the two isolated leaders has raised a common concern in the West, possible arms deal between the two allies. Previously this year, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Pyongyang to attend the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Korean War. On that visit, Kim gave a personal tour of an arms exhibition to Shoigu. So, it is very obvious that the meeting between these two leaders can only mean making a munition deal however no public agreement was made. Russia has lost a grave amount of artillery and munition in the war that needs to be replenished, and it is believed that North Korea has a substantial inventory of rockets and artillery rounds compatible with Soviet-era weaponry, as well as a history of manufacturing such ammunition that could meet the necessity of Russia’s war plan. North Korea declared long ago that they would be by Russia’s side to fight the imperialism of the West through “just fight”.

13 years ago, Russia joined the sanctions against North Korea by the UN Security Council on 30 March 2010. President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree implementing intensified UN Security Council sanctions against Pyongyang's nuclear programs. The presidential decree banned the purchase of weapons and relevant materials from the DPRK by government offices, enterprises, banks, organizations, and individuals currently under Russia's jurisdiction. It also prohibited the transit of weapons and relevant materials via Russian territory. 

A decade has passed and Russia is also facing sanctions by the US for invading Ukraine in 2022 to start a war. At present time, Russia is in dire need of weapons to win the war. In this necessary time, the Russian leader has turned to the country on which he had imposed sanctions for the weaponry that he desperately needed at the present time. Although Kim Jong Un has his motive to shake hands with Putin, acquiring advanced satellite and submarine technology. 

Marzana Mahnaz is a Research Intern at CGS