Ukraine war latest: Putin sends message to North Koreans ahead of rare Pyongyang visit (2024)

By Ivor Bennett, Moscow correspondent

This will only be Vladimir Putin’s second visit to North Korea. The first was soon after he assumed office in 2000, nearly a quarter of a century ago.

That’s a long time to wait for a return trip. Was it the hospitality? Or did he just have better options elsewhere?

Either way, it’s very much a case of beggars can’t be choosers right now, with Tuesday’s visit highlighting both Russia’s isolation from the West and the blossoming friendship between these two pariah states.

What does North Korea offer Russia? A lot more than camaraderie. According to the US and others, it’s supplying the Kremlin with weapons and ammunition to use in Ukraine.

In an interview with Bloomberg recently, South Korea’s defence minister said the North had sent nearly 5 million artillery shells to Russia since September, as well as dozens of ballistic missiles.

Moscow and Pyongyang both deny the accusation but UN monitors claim to have seen evidence. In January, they concluded the remnants of a missile fired from Russia on Kherson was that of a North Korea-made Kwasong-11 series. Kyiv claims there are several more examples.

For North Korea, the closer ties are a big win. As well as food and fuel, analysts say Russia has provided the poverty-stricken nation with much-needed economic aid and diplomatic support.

In March, for example, Russia vetoed the UN resolution to renew the mandate of the panel of experts monitoring sanctions enforcement.

It’s also assumed Moscow is supplying some technical know-how for Pyongyang’s space and satellite programmes, after President Putin hosted Kim Jong Un at the Vostochny cosmodrone in Russia’s Far East last September.

The stronger ties between the two is a major concern for the West and its Asian allies.

These are two leaders who like to warn how their fingers are poised over the red button. The primary fear in Washington and Seoul is that Russia could start supplying some of its nuclear know-how and missile technology, on top of the other assistance.

The Russian leader’s entourage for the visit certainly raises eyebrows. It includes his new defence minister Andrei Belousov as well as Denis Manutrov, the deputy prime minister responsible for defence.

The official line from the Kremlin is that there’s nothing to see here - yes, we might sign a security agreement, but it won’t be directed against any other country.

Russia’s “right” to develop good relationships with its neighbours “should not be of concern to anyone”, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Behind the scenes, though, they will no doubt delight in the disquiet the visit is causing.

It’s very much a diplomatic two-fingers to the West, which may bring tangible geopolitical benefits too.

If South Korea is considering providing weapons to Ukraine, for example, this might make them think twice about it.

Vladimir Putin has thanked North Korea for supporting his actions in Ukraine and said their countries will cooperate closely to overcome US led sanctions.

The Russian president will be in Pyongyang today for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un - his first visit to the country in 24 years.

Mr Putin's comments appeared in an op-ed in North Korean state media hours before he was expected to arrive in the North for a two-day visit.

He said he appreciates North Korea's support of Russia in their invasion of Ukraine, adding that the two countries would continue to "resolutely oppose" what he described as Western ambitions to "to hinder the establishment of a multipolarised world order based on mutual respect for justice."

Here's what he said on Pyongyang's support for the Ukraine war:

We highly appreciate the DPRK's firm support for Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, its solidarity with us on key international issues, and its readiness to defend common priorities and views on the platform of the UN. Pyongyang has been and remains our convinced supporter, ready to resolutely oppose the collective West's desire to prevent the establishment of a multipolar world order based on justice, mutual respect for sovereignty and consideration of each other's interests.

There was also a reference to the two nations developing unspecified trade and payment systems "that are not controlled by the West."

We are also ready to work closely together to make international relations more democratic and stable. To this end, we will develop alternative mechanisms of trade and mutual settlements beyond the control of the West and jointly oppose illegitimate unilateral restrictions. At the same time, we will build an architecture of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia.

There was lengthy comment on the role that the US is playing on the world stage right now, which Mr Putin described as a "global neo-colonial dictatorship based on double standards."

The Russian president accuses the US of trying to "prolong and inflame" the war in Ukraine and reaffirms Russia's apparent commitment to open "equal dialogue."

The US is trying hard to impose a so-called rules-based order on the world, which is, in fact, nothing but a global neo-colonial dictatorship based on double standards. They are doing everything to prolong and inflame with greater force the conflict in Ukraine, which they themselves provoked by supporting and organising the armed coup d'etat in Kiev in 2014 and then the war in Donbass. At the same time, all these years they have repeatedly rejected all our attempts to resolve the situation peacefully. Russia has been and will continue to be open to equal dialogue on all the most difficult issues.

In reference to the combined actions of nations around the world arming Ukraine with weapons, and the economic sanctions placed on Russia, Mr Putin was defiant yet again.

He said all attempts to "contain and isolate" Russia had failed.

Our adversaries continue to supply the neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv with money, weapons and intelligence, and allow and actually encourage it to use modern Western weapons and equipment to launch attacks on Russian territory (..) At the same time, they are trying to wear down our economy with more and more sanctions and provoke the growth of social and political tension inside the country.

But no matter how hard they try, all their attempts to contain and isolate Russia have failed.

Ukraine's air force said today that its air defence systems destroyed all 10 drones that Russia launched overnight.

The drones were destroyed over Dnipropetrovs and to the south, in Zaporizhzhia, the air force said on Telegram.

Welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine.

We reported yesterday that fighting in the Kharkiv region escalated over the weekend, with heavy combat under way at an aggregate plant on the northern edge of Vovchansk.

Kharkiv has become a focus after Russia opened up a second front in the northeastern region last month.

Ukrainian soldiers are now looking to isolate Russian troops advancing across the nearby border.

Meanwhile, a large explosion was reported in the Rostov-on-Don region of southern Russia.

Eyewitness reports said a large flash was spotted before apartments nearby lost power.

Before we bring you today's news, here is more of what happened over the last 24 hours...

• Vladimir Putin reportedly sacked four of his deputy defence ministers
• More than 20 people were injured in a Russian missile attack on the Poltava region
• The US said it was troubled by the "deepening relationship" between Russia and North Korea
• The Kremlin said peace talks in Switzerland were futile without Russia and the results of it were "close to zero".

That's all of our live coverage on the conflict for now.

We'll bring you any major developments overnight, and we'll be back with our regular updates in the morning.

Earlier today we told you about a Russian missile attack on Ukraine's east central Poltava region.

Initially, reports had suggested nine people were injured in the strike, but the regional governor has now confirmed 22 people suffered injuries.

Three children were among the wounded, Filip Pronin said.

Houses and power lines were also damaged, causing electricity to be knocked out for more than 55,000 customers.

Ukraine's prosecutor general's office said the attack was carried out with an X-59 cruisemissile.

The US has expressed concern over the "deepening relationship" between Russia and North Korea, the White House has said.

Spokesman John Kirby said the US was "troubled" by the ties between the two countries.

It comes after both nations confirmed Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea for the first time in 24 years tomorrow.

Mr Kirby said the visit appeared to be part of a post-election"charm offensive" by Mr Putin.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un extended an invitation to Mr Putin during a visit to Russia's Far East last September.

Russia's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said the two leaders may sign a partnership agreementduring the visit that would include security issues.

Canada has decided to hold off on sending military trainers to Ukraine, its defence minister has said.

Speaking to reporters after a NATO summit, Bill Blair said the circ*mstances for such a move were "not right" at the moment.

"There was discussion of a NATO mission to enhance the training. At the present time, the circ*mstances are not right to deploy - in my view - the Canadian trainers in Ukraine," he said.

"There is, I think, quite an understandable concern about expanding a training mission into Ukraine at the current time."

Canada has helped prepare more than 40,000 Ukrainian soldiers since 2015, but decided to pull its training contingent out of western Ukraine just before the war started.

The White House has also said it was not planning to send US military trainers to Ukraine.

Ukrainian police officers, from a unit known as "white angels", have rescued six people from two villages today.

The country's national police force said four civilians were evacuated from Vozdvizhenka, near Bakhmut, and two were rescued from Vovche, in Lviv.

"The front approached these villages almost at close range. The enemy is shooting at the houses," it said in a statement.

"While the evacuation continued, the Russians covered the surroundings with fire, so the crew overcame especially dangerous sections of the road at maximum speed."

It said the people evacuated from Vozdvizhenka were a family who had found "three shells were fired at their garden" overnight.

"The policemen helped the man and three women to leave, the oldest of whom is 75 years old and has limited mobility," it added.

"There was also room in the armoured car for all domestic animals - chickens, ducks and rabbits."

In Vovche, it said a man and a woman called for help after a Russian bomb hit their house.

It said some residents remain in both villages, and urged them to evacuate.

A record number of NATO countries are expected to hit the military alliance's defence spending target this year, its secretary general has said.

In total, more than 20 NATO allies will spend at least 2% of their GDP on defence, Jens Stoltenberg said.

The estimated figure marks a near-fourfold increase from 2021 among the 32 members.

Only six nations were meeting the goal that year, before the war in Ukraine started.

The surge in spending reflects the worries of Western allies about the conflict.

Mr Stoltenberg made the comment during a visit to Washington, where he is laying the groundwork for what is expected to be a pivotal summit of NATO next month.

The mutual defence alliance has grown in strength and size since Russia's invasion of Ukraine two years ago, with both Sweden and Finland joining.

It comes after US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a 10-yearbilateral security agreement, seen as "supporting a bridge to Ukraine's eventual membership in the NATO alliance" last week.