North Korea talks with Russia
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia on Tuesday for talks with President Vladimir Putin on trade, cultural exchanges and "sensitive spheres, which should not be publicly revealed," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media.
That likely translates into weapons and ammunition deals Moscow desperately needs to continue its stalled invasion of Ukraine.
Hi there, I'm Nicole with another update on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This week, we're talking about the significance of the Kim-Putin meeting. But first here are a few updates from the war:
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is calling for an investigation after Elon Musk reportedly blocked Ukraine's access to SpaceX's Starlink satellite to prevent an attack on Russian warships, Bloomberg reported. Musk is one of several tech executives scheduled to meet with lawmakers Wednesday in Washington.
- The United Russia party won legislative supermajorities in all four of Russia's "new" regions illegally annexed by Russia as well as Crimea, seized by Russia in 2014, the Central Election Commission announced. The State Department issued a statement ahead of the voting that described it as "nothing more than a propaganda exercise."
- The Ukrainian military says it recaptured strategic gas and oil drilling platforms from Russia in the Black Sea. The deputy defense minister said Ukrainian forces also liberated part of a Donetsk province town and advanced on two other towns south of Bakhmut.
North Korea's Kim arrives in Russia for talks
Kremlin spokesperson Peskov said Kim's heavily armored train rolled into Russia on Tuesday for talks expected with Russia's leader. The summit with the Kremlin's Soviet-era ally will take place at an undisclosed time at an undisclosed site in eastern Russia, and no press briefings are planned before or after the discussions, he said.
The meeting marks Kim's first overseas trip in more than four years. The White House said last week that arms negotiations between North Korea and Russia were "advancing." It also warned that Kim's regime would "pay a price" if it strikes an arms deal with Putin's government.
Peskov said Russia was ready to discuss U.N. Security Council trade, banking, scientific and technical sanctions against North Korea. He also said the Kremlin was not interested in White House warnings to North Korea against selling arms to Russia, saying Kim and Putin "will be guided by the interests of our two countries."