MOSCOW: The Kremlin hailed ties with North Korea on Thursday (Jun 13) ahead of a rumoured visit by President Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang, which the West says is supplying weapons for Moscow to use in Ukraine.
Moscow has for months promised Putin will reciprocate a visit to the reclusive state after hosting dictator Kim Jong Un in the Russian Far East in September.
Kim said on Wednesday that the two heavily sanctioned countries are “invincible comrades-in-arms” and South Korean officials expect the visit in the coming days.
“We have the right to develop good relations with our neighbours and this should not cause concern for anyone,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.
Russia and North Korea share a small land border.
North Korea was a “friendly country for us, with whom we are developing bilateral relations”, Peskov said.
“We will do that further. The potential for development in our relations is very deep,” he added.
South Korea, the United States and Ukraine have said North Korea is shipping weapons to Russia, in violation of UN sanctions.
Seoul said Thursday it was “closely watching” preparations for the visit.
Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang have confirmed a date for the visit.
The expected trip comes over two years into Russia’s Ukraine offensive.
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