North Korean Leader is Travelling On an Armoured Train, State Media Reported, Amid Warning From The USA

North Korean leader is traveling on an armoured train, state media reported, amid warnings from the USA

By Benjamin Francis

Kim Jong Un has departed the North Korean capital aboard his heavily-armored private train, North Korean state media KCNA said Tuesday, as Pyongyang and Moscow confirmed a meeting will soon take place with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Images released by the North Korean news agency shows Kim walking down a red carpet at a Pyongyang station and boarding the green train surrounded by officials. A crowd of onlookers can be seen cheering in the background and waving flags.

The summit, expected to take place in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok, comes amid warnings from the United States that the two leaders could strike an arms deal.

The US government said last week that such a meeting could take place as part of Russia’s efforts to find new suppliers for weapons to use in its war against Ukraine.

Neither country has specified when or where the visit would take place, nor what would be on the agenda of any potential face-to-face. The Kremlin said in a statement Monday that Kim would pay an official visit to Russia “in the coming days,” while North Korean state media said they would “meet and have a talk.”

Putin reportedly arrived in Vladivostok on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to state TV Russia 24. And the city is where Kim and Putin met for the first time in April 2019.

Kim is also being accompanied by senior party officials, as well as members of the government and armed forces KCNA reported.