Putin set to go on two-day visit to North Korea

Russian President Vladimir Putin will be in North Korea on June 18-19 to hold hold talks with the country's leader, Kim Jong Un.

This was reported by the North Korean state news agency KCNA, as seen by Ukrinform.

It will be Putin's first trip to Pyongyang in 24 years, being a return visit after Kim's trip to the Russian Far East last September, where the two leaders held a rare meeting.

One of the main goals of the Russian leader’s visit to the DPRK, observers believe, will be to find ways to expand military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang.

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This may include concluding agreements on increasing the supply of North Korean artillery shells and missiles to Russia for the war against Ukraine in exchange for Russian military technology.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, North Korea has likely already delivered to Russia nearly 5 million artillery rounds in exchange for technology for space satellites and conventional weapons.