Putin ‘gratefully’ accepts Kim Jong Un’s invite to North Korea

After North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un traveled to Russia’s far east, Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted an invitation from Kim to visit North Korea.

“During a one-on-one conversation, Kim Jong Un invited Putin to visit North Korea. Putin gratefully accepted this invitation. And then all agreements will take place through diplomatic channels,” Russian Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russian news.

If Putin makes the journey, it would be his first visit to North Korea since his trip in 2000 to meet with Kim Jong Il. While the dates for Putin’s visit have not been announced, preparations are ongoing for Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Pyongyang in October, Peskov noted.

Like Kim — who traveled via armored train to Russia — Putin is likely avoid a plane journey when traveling to Pyongyang. Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin leader uses a train for travel out of fear of being tracked and shot down, CNN reported.

Kim Jong Un and Putin met for the first time since 2019 on Wednesday to talk weapons and satellite tech. Russia — which has been a global outcast since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — has been hunting for artillery ammunition deals.