US says Putin is 'begging' for help from North Korea's Kim Jong Un

The US has provided a stinging commentary on the reported meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled to take place on Tuesday (September 12) in the Far East city of Vladivostok. Washington said the summit showed that Putin was 'begging' for help from pariahs, referring to Kim Jong Un.

"Having to travel across the length of his own country to meet with an international pariah to ask for assistance in a war that he expected to win in the opening month, I would characterise it as him begging for assistance," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

"President Putin launched this war against Ukraine, with its full-scale aggression, with a dream of restoring the glory of the Russian Empire. That hope, that expectation of his, has failed," Miller said, adding that "any transfer of arms from North Korea to Russia would be in violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions".

Notably, last week, Washington released intelligence indicating that North Korea and Russia were coordinating a leader-level meeting this month. The potential meeting was purportedly aimed atstrengthening their cooperation amid rising tensions with the United States.

According to reports, the North Korean dictator left for Russia, aboard an armoured train that he often uses to undertake foreign visits, on Monday (September 11).

Hours later, the Kremlin confirmed that Kim will visit Russia "in the coming days" after receiving an invite from Putin himself.

"At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Chairman of State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, will pay an official visit to the Russian Federation in the coming days," the Kremlin said.

An unlikely relationship

The unlikely equation between Kim and Putin developed after the latter invaded Ukraine last year. The growing camaraderie between the two nations was evident when Russia and China ignored a US call to condemn North Korea in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for its attempt to launch a satellite.

In May, Kim sent a letter to Putin, hailing Russia's "holy fight" against what he called "imperialists".

“We send warm wishes to you, the Russian army and the people ofRussiafor their holy fight to preserve world peace,” read the letter.

With the relationship growing between the two leaders, the White House, earlier this year, claimed to have found evidence that Russia was purchasing weapons from North Korea for its Ukrainian war, and in return providing food and water to the crisis-hit country.

(With inputs from agencies)

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