Kim Jong-un arrived in Russia to meet with Vladimir Putin

Kim Jong-un arrived in Russia's Primorsky Krai early Tuesday morning. Photo: KCNA/via REUTERS

North Korean leader Kim Jong UN has crossed the border into Russia, where he is set to meet with Vladimir Putin and discuss a potential arms deal.

Russian state news agency RIA Novosti confirmed that Kim's train arrived in Primorsky Krai early Tuesday morning. The pictures show an armored train with dark green carriages being pulled along the rails by a Russian Railways locomotive.

Kim will meet with Putin in the Far East later this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Peskov said that the meeting would include a dinner in honor of Kim.

“This will be a full-fledged visit,” Peskov said. “Negotiations will take place between the two delegations, and after that, if the need arises, the leaders will continue to communicate one-on-one.”

Experts say Moscow will likely seek artillery shells and anti-tank weapons. tank missiles from North Korea, which wants advanced satellite and nuclear submarine technology in return. The visit is the first trip abroad by a North Korean leader in four years.

The White House warned last week that North Korea «will pay a heavy price» if it supplies Russia with weapons for the conflict in Ukraine.

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Putin on Tuesday said he plans to travel to the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East, but did not specify whether he plans to meet Kim there.

Responding to a question at an economic forum, Putin stated that he has his own program to visit Vostochny, and “when I arrive, you will know.”

Russian and foreign media have suggested that Kim of North Korea will visit the Vostochny cosmodrome during his trip.

Russian and foreign media have speculated that North Korea's Kim will visit the Vostochny Cosmodrome during his trip.

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Kim has not traveled outside North Korea since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. His last full-fledged foreign trip took place in 2019, also to Russia, to meet with Putin.