President Vladimir Putin will travel to North Korea and Vietnam in the coming weeks, the business newspaper Vedomosti reported Monday, citing Russian diplomats familiar with the matter.
Russia’s Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora told the newspaper that he is “actively preparing” for the Kremlin leader’s visit to Pyongyang but otherwise did not specify an exact date for the trip or the purpose.
According to an unnamed diplomat cited by Vedomosti, Putin will first travel to North Korea before traveling further to Vietnam.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the report when answering journalists’ questions on Monday, saying only that “when the time comes, we will make appropriate announcements.”
Last month, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko told journalists that preparations were underway for the Kremlin leader to visit North Korea and Vietnam.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un invited Putin to visit his country in September as he wrapped up a rare trip to Russia’s Far East. Moscow at the time promised to help with North Korea's fledgling space program, while Putin told reporters he saw “possibilities” for military cooperation with Pyongyang.
Since that visit, Western governments have accused North Korea of unlawfully supplying weapons to Russia for use on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Putin’s last and only trip to North Korea took place in 2000, when he met with Kim’s father and former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese media previously reported that the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong, invited Putin to visit the country this year. The Russian leader last traveled to the Southeast Asian country in 2017.
Since assuming his fifth term as president in early May, Putin has made trips to China, Belarus and Uzbekistan.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
