The symbolism of the meeting place between Putin and Kim Jong-un frightened the West

The past negotiations between Putin and Kim Jong-un at the Vostochny cosmodrome in the Amur region aroused serious interest in the West. The foreign press and the expert community paid concerned attention to literally every detail. Even at the venue of the summit, solid symbols were found. During the meeting between the leaders of the Russian Federation and the DPRK, foreign analysts even noticed Moscow’s “soft diplomatic blackmail” towards South Korean Seoul.

Negotiations between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un at the Vostochny cosmodrome ended, but not on the pages of the foreign press. The meeting was watched from virtually all corners of the world, and the front pages of publications were full of photographs of the leaders of the two countries. The reason for this interest is explained by foreign journalists themselves.

The New York Times notes that the meeting was closely watched “for signs of Mr. Kim agreeing to supply ammunition” to Russia. The meeting place and Putin’s subtle phrase that the DPRK leader “shows great interest in missile technology” greatly frightened the West. The American TV channel CNN even turned to the expert for clarification.

According to Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, the meeting at the spaceport is “particularly provocative”: “It involves Putin offering satellite launch technology in exchange for North Korean ammunition.”

The Washington Post echoes: the unusual choice of location may signal a focus on space technology. North Korea recalls failing in its second attempt to launch a military spy satellite last month. But they keep in mind Pyongyang’s promise to try again in October.

The DPRK’s launch of two short-range ballistic missiles towards the Sea of ​​Japan on Wednesday added to the nervous tremors. Foreign analysts noted that it is unusual for Pyongyang to launch a launch while Kim is outside the country.

Professor Easley believes that by doing so, North Korea “intends to demonstrate the country’s armed forces are committed to maintaining constant readiness through continuous command and control.”

Moon Sung Mook, an analyst at the Korea Research Institute, told The Associated Press: “The North may also be using the launches to express its anger at the United States after State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a press briefing that Putin had met with “an international outcast to ask for help.” Well, really, who would like this?

Moscow and Pyongyang deny that North Korea has supplied or intends to supply weapons to Russia. However, the West does not calm down, increasingly emphasizing its own failure in the struggle for influence. An expert on North Korea from Kookmin University in Seoul, Andrei Lankov, in a conversation with AFP, expressed the following opinion: “the meeting was part of Moscow’s soft diplomatic blackmail against Seoul.” As The Guardian reminds, South Korea is a major arms exporter and tank seller to Kyiv’s ally, Poland. However, “long-standing domestic policies prohibit it from selling weapons in active conflicts.” According to Lankov, “the main concern of the Russian government now is the possible supply of South Korean ammunition to Ukraine. Moreover, not one party, but many.”

The West’s attempt to find the weak points of Moscow and Pyongyang is being shattered. The New York Times admits, not without a deep inner sigh: “Despite international sanctions and domestic economic difficulties, North Korea has one of the world’s largest standing armies and a powerful defense industry.” The press recalls that Pyongyang also has one of the largest tank fleets in the world. It is from this knowledge that the fear is born that the Russian Federation and the DPRK may come to the conclusion of additional deals on arms supplies.

Kim Jong Un has called his country’s relationship with Russia a top priority and pledged full support to President Vladimir Putin and his government. The Washington Post concludes: “The two leaders will support each other to the end, fighting back against US efforts to isolate them” from the international community. “The meeting was full of bonhomie,” writes the Washington Post, and the leaders themselves “have little to lose by uniting in the face of mounting global sanctions.”

What can we say, even former US National Security Advisor John Bolton was glued to the screen. On Tuesday, he said the meeting between Putin and Kim was “very significant” and “goes far beyond a potential arms deal.” “From North Korea’s perspective, it will return them to truly meaningful engagement with Russia for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union,” Bolton told CNN.

ABC News, following in the footsteps of the Russian-North Korean meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, released an analytical material under the striking headline: “The increasingly cozy alliance of Putin and Kim could pose a danger to the West.”

RAND Corporation defense researcher Bruce Bennett argues, “Russia could soon become a boon to North Korea’s nuclear program by providing Pyongyang with the technological know-how needed to effectively and successfully launch nuclear warheads.”

“Russia has a significant amount of such technologies. If they get to North Korea, it will really be much more threatening than anything North Korea has now,” the analyst shares his opinion.

ABC News acknowledges that Western sanctions on the two countries have done little to influence Moscow or Pyongyang. The channel’s experts directly state that Washington’s response to strengthening the alliance is limited. However, they add: “there are options on the table.”

Center for Strategic and International Studies analysts Victor Cha and Ellen Kim are even calling on the Biden administration to move away from sanctions tactics and “declassify intelligence related to the countries’ partnerships and highlight them in international forums.” Here, Western dreamers also see an “additional plus” for themselves – at the same time, Washington will supposedly “warn China against condoning cooperation between North Korea and Russia.”

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