North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a remote Siberian rocket launch facility for a summit aimed at strengthening their alliance against the United States. Mr. Kim expressed his country's "full and unconditional support" for Russia's security interests, particularly in its conflict with Ukraine.

The meeting took place shortly after North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the sea, indicating that Kim used the distraction of the Ukraine conflict to accelerate his weapons development. The leaders toured a Soyuz-2 space rocket launch facility, where Kim showed keen interest in rocket technology and expressed his desire for Russian technical assistance in developing military reconnaissance satellites.

Putin welcomed Kim to Russia and emphasized their shared interests in economic cooperation, humanitarian issues, and the situation in the region. This meeting provides an opportunity for both leaders to address their respective needs, with Kim seeking economic aid and military technology, while Putin may benefit from North Korea's stockpiles of aging ammunition and rockets.

However, any arms deal between the two countries would violate international sanctions, complicating their potential cooperation.