Russian President Vladimir Putin will soon visit Vietnam and North Korea. The announcement came from the Russian ambassador to Pyongyang, Alexander Matsegora.
North Korea is emerging as Russia's leading arms supplier. Pyongyang is reportedly providing Moscow with extensive military packages, including ballistic missiles and over 3 million artillery shells, the Kyiv Independent reported.
Despite the increasingly strong alliance, Putin has not visited North Korea since 2000, when he met with former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
Matsegora said the Russian president was "actively preparing" for the trip, but did not specify when exactly it would take place.
Another source said Putin will also visit Vietnam, possibly as early as June and possibly after his trip to North Korea.
If the trip to Vietnam takes place, it will be the head of state's fifth visit to the country.
Vietnam and Russia have long had a close relationship that dates back to the Soviet Union's support for North Vietnam and its proxy forces during the Vietnam War. Vietnam has maintained a neutral stance on Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. | BGNES
