Two pariahs, shaking hands and trading deadly technologies in the pursuit of human misery. It is a measure of how desperate Vladimir Putin has grown that he is today meeting Kim Jong-un in Russia’s far east, scrounging around for arms in return for which he could help to develop North Korea’s military satellite technology.
The prize, as Putin sees it, is clear: North Korea may have tens of millions of ageing, Soviet-compatible artillery shells that could help to resupply the Russian army, which continues its assault on Ukraine following its invasion launched last year. Any deal involving the transfer of military technology could also include economic aid to the North Korean regime, perhaps the most brutal and repressive in the world. Such an agreement would violate sanctions once supported by Russia.
