Good Morning,
The meeting between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Kim Jung Un of North Korea, took place this morning in Vostochny, and the fall out from what some would call ‘a deal between devils’ will be significant.
Vostochny is the Russian space base in the far east, and Kim was touring the rocket facility with very clear aims to boost nuclear program, and more.
President Vladimir Putin said that Russia would help North Korea build satellites and, when asked if he and Kim Jong Un would talk about weapons supplies, replied that the two leaders would discuss all issues.
When asked by reporters if Russia would help Kim build satellites, Putin replied: "That's why we came here. The leader of the DPRK shows great interest in rocket engineering, they are also trying to develop space."
The two isolated despots need each other and the ramifications of their new found marriage will be profound.
N Korea is in dire need of food after isolation in the pandemic which has led to starvation and desperation.
Russia is expected to provide it more grain and powdered milk. And Putin needs artillery shells, millions of them in his unending war with Ukraine.
To keep from losing in Ukraine, the Russian leader, hell bent on defeating the west seems willing to break even his own pledges on UN sanctions which Russia signed onto to rein in a dangerous and unpredictable N Korea.
Even as Kim was in Russia, his first trip outside of N Korea in years, the DPRK fired two ballistic missiles toward the sea, extending a highly provocative run in North Korean weapons testing since the start of 2022. No Korea has test fired more than 80 missiles in the last, year threatening Japan and South Korea, and even the United States.
Satellite technology for N Korea would give it targeting and spying capability, that would threaten Washington, and Putin knows it.
Putin is threatening Europe and America, and by enabling N Korea, possibly even agreeing to sell Kim nuclear submarine technology he is destabilizing the world.
China hasn’t commented so far, but it likely to view the agreements with Kim and Russia’s role in speeding up it’s satellite program as a step too far, although it is unlikely to say so publicly
Washington warned before this meeting took place there would be a price to be paid if Russia and N Korea agreed to weapons sales. The condemnations will be numerous later today but what really can the U.S. do to stop the transfers including satellite technology? Sanctions against N Korea have failed to stop Kim from developing nuclear weapons and long range missiles to carry them.
Russia’s Putin is now a pariah with few friends left in the world, after his bloody war in Ukraine. This theatrical meeting with Kim Jung Un has elevated his notoriety with the western countries which oppose his war in Ukraine.
One note - Washington is currently considering a decision on whether to send high range guided rockets to Ukraine, which will target even the Crimea and Russia’s black Sea fleet.
Germany also is deliberating whether to provide Taurus cruise missiles which like the ATACMS (army tactical missile system) will allow Ukraine to hit far behind Russian front lines in the occupied east, and Crimea.
This new arrangement with N Korea, could lead to a severe escalation in the war, and lead us into a more dangerous possibility of the war spreading in Europe and beyond.
Dana