The UN Secretary General spoke about the meeting between Putin and Kim Jong Un and warned about the existing sanctions on North Korea. The Kremlin says this does not impede relations between the two countries.
The Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, stated this Wednesday that any cooperation with North Korea “must respect UN sanctions”, when asked about the possibility of a military agreement between Moscow and Pyongyang.
“Any form of cooperation by any country with North Korea must respect the sanctions regime imposed by the UN Security Council. And this is, obviously, extremely relevant in this case that you mention,” said António Guterres, responding to a question about the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong Un, and the possibility, raised by Washington, of an agreement to deliver military equipment to Russia to support the offensive in Ukraine.
The leaders of Russia and North Korea met this Wednesday in the Russian Far East for about two hours, the Kremlin announced. The summit took place at the Russian Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Siberian Amur region.
After the meeting, Kim Jong-un expressed his conviction of the victory of the army and people of “Great Russia” in Ukraine, during a lunch offered by Putin.
“I am convinced that the heroic Russian army and people, who brilliantly inherited the traditions of victory, will demonstrate dignity and honor on two fronts: in the special military operation and in building a strong state,” Kim said.
Russia officially designates the invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022, as “special military operation“.
Kim toasted the “new victories of Great Russia”, cited by Russian and international agencies. On the other hand, the United States warned North Korea that will suffer consequences if it supplies weapons to Russia for the war against Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov stated that Russia’s support for United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea does not impede the development of relations between Moscow and Pyongyang.
“Russia maintains its position in the United Nations, in the Security Council, but this cannot, should not and will not be an obstacle to the development of relations between Russia and North Korea,” he stated.
Peskov also said that Russia and North Korea will build relations based on the interests of both countries and that Cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang is not directed against anyone..
This is the second official visit of the North Korean leader to Russia, after holding talks with his Russian counterpart in April 2019, in Vladivostok.
Source: Observadora