President Vladimir Putin of Russia and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un met at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Siberian Amur region, beginning talks in the first facility of the Soyuz-2 rocket manufacturing complex. Delegation members accompanied the two leaders as the meeting opened.
At the start, Putin told Kim that there were many topics to cover and that he was pleased to see him, extending a warm welcome. Kim spoke about the long history of friendship between North Korea and Russia, tracing its roots back to the era of the Soviet Union.
The summit is expected to run for several hours, following a previous encounter in 2019 that lasted about three and a half hours.
Before the session began, Putin explained to reporters that the Vostochny site was chosen because Kim has a strong interest in rocketry. He noted that both sides would discuss a wide range of issues, adding that there was time to cover everything without rushing the process.
The Vostochny Cosmodrome, though still under construction, sits on 109 hectares and includes plans for more than 200 buildings and facilities as part of ongoing development.
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During the tour of the cosmodrome, which is dedicated to assembling the latest Angara rockets, leaders received briefing on the technical aspects of Soyuz-2 launchers and the Angara family of carriers.
Kim showed particular interest in rocket propellants, spent stages, and the fundamentals of launch vehicle propulsion.
Accompanying the leaders were Deputy Prime Minister and Far Eastern District envoy Yuri Trutnev, Roscosmos Director Yuri Borov, and TsENKI General Director Nikolai Nesttechuk.
Angara is a family of launch vehicles designed to cover a spectrum from light to heavy lift, built around universal rocket modules using oxygen and kerosene engines.
Putin had hosted Kim once before since 2019 for a high level exchange. It was anticipated that arms supply and military technology would be on the agenda alongside topics on space and scientific collaboration. After crossing into Russia the previous day, Kim traveled by train to the cosmodrome, where he was greeted by Putin in the rocket assembly and testing area. The two leaders exchanged smiles and handshakes, with Putin asking about Kim’s two-day journey and Kim reciprocating with thanks for the invitation.
According to Interfax, delegations from both countries were set to engage in talks for several hours, followed by a roughly three-hour face-to-face meeting between the leaders.
Kim Jong-un is not the first foreign leader to visit Vostochny. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has visited on several occasions, and Min Aung Hlaing, head of Myanmar’s military government, has also been seen there.
It was announced that a working lunch would be held in Kim’s honor, but no press conference was planned at the end of negotiations.
According to the Kremlin press secretary, the agenda would cover bilateral and economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, regional and international issues, and sensitive topics that would not be disclosed publicly. This remark was interpreted as a sign that discussions might include the arms supply agreement between North Korea and Russia in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which has persisted for many months.
The New York Times reported that Putin was interested in North Korea supplying artillery ammunition and anti-tank missiles to Russia, while Pyongyang would be pursuing access to advanced technologies for satellite production and other strategic areas, including naval propulsion and energy resources. Some sources also mentioned possible discussions about food aid and energy cooperation.
Kim arrived with a delegation that included defense and foreign affairs ministers, senior military officials, and leaders from strategic sectors linked to the space program, including officials connected to the Industrial Ordnance Department and the party’s education and science leadership. This entourage underlined the close ties between military modernization and space ambitions in North Korea.
Coinciding with the summit, South Korea’s military reported North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan, an event now commonly referred to as the East Sea by the two Koreas.
From Washington and other capitals, international observers closely tracked the discussions. The United States emphasized that any arms transfers from North Korea to Russia would breach several UN Security Council resolutions and pledged to consider new sanctions if warranted. Russian officials signaled that Moscow would pursue its own interests and would not be swayed by external pressure, stressing the importance of bilateral ties with North Korea.
South Korea’s presidency urged Russia to act responsibly as a member of the United Nations Security Council, noting North Korea remains under UN sanctions while these talks unfolded.