Laura Bicker
BBC News Asia Pacific correspondent

Image source, Reuters

The last time the Russian and North Korean leaders met in 2019, denuclearisation talks between Washington and Pyongyang had broken down.

Putin acted as a go-between, briefing both China and the Trump administration with Russia also backing UN sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea’s weapons programmes in 2017.

The world looks different now. Moscow and Pyongyang have become a lot closer since the Ukraine war. Both blame the US for the war.

In July, North Korea welcomed Russia's Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu before Moscow blocked the UN Security Council from strengthening sanctions against Pyongyang.

The balance of power in north-east Asia has also shifted after the US brought together Japan and South Korea in an alliance few thought was possible.

What we don’t know is how China, North Korea's staunchest ally, will respond.

If Kim really needs a deal with Putin, how much will he care about what Beijing has to say?

Footage shows the train carrying North Korean leader Kim Jong Un entering Russia, according to state news agency Ria Novosti.

The video shows the armoured carriages crossing into the Primorsky region from North Korea, the agency said, pulled by Russian Railways locomotives.

Jean Mackenzie
Seoul correspondent

That Kim Jong Un is accompanied by his top military officials, certainly suggests an arms deal is on the table.

And although Western countries are concerned about such deal, some question whether North Korean weapons would make a difference to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

While many North Korean weapons are based on Soviet designs and are therefore compatible with Russian systems, the North’s capacity to produce weapons is limited and it is unlikely to want to hand over too much of its existing stockpile.

Kim is paranoid about his own country’s security and relies on these weapons for its defence.

Western diplomats view this meeting as a sign of Putin’s increasing desperation but are sceptical it will significantly alter the outcome of the war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced he plans to go to the Vostochny cosmodrome - the space centre we mentioned earlier where Kim is also expected.

However, he did not say if he's meeting the North Korean leader there.

Putin, responding to a question at the Eastern Economic Forum said "when I get there, you will know", Reuters reports.

While it is thought arms will form a key part of talks between the Russian and North Korean leaders, the Kremlin has suggested that humanitarian aid may be on the agenda, according to reports.

North Korea is facing serious shortages of essential goods - everything from food to medicine - after the government sealed its borders in 2020 to keep Covid out.

Many analysts say Kim will be looking to get these vital supplies from Russia in exchange for sending weapons to Moscow.

This would also help Pyongyang's efforts to diversify its international trade, for which it's dependent on China.

But its economic ties with Russia are practically non-existent and despite deep historical ties, Moscow is not as much of an ally to Pyongyang as the Soviet Union was.

The BBC has reported extensively on how many North Koreans are starving.

Image source, Reuters

What do Russia and North Korea want from each other?published at 08:50 British Summer Time 12 September 2023

08:50 BST 12 September 2023

Steve Rosenberg
BBC Russia editor

Image source, Reuters

It is a marriage made, if not in heaven, then certainly in the geo-political realities of 2023.

Both Russia and North Korea have been accused of becoming "rogue states". Both are under heavy international sanctions. Both rail against the US.

A common enemy tends to bring leaders closer together. And so it is with Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. Both see clear benefits from a closer relationship.

For Russia that could include a flow of munitions for its war in Ukraine. North Korea has a huge defence industry with large-scale production capabilities.

The US claims that arms talks between Russia and North Korea have been “actively advancing” with Russia reportedly seeking supplies of ammunition and artillery shells.

North Korea may be counting on humanitarian aid from Moscow to ease food shortages. But there’s also speculation that Pyongyang may be seeking advanced technologies for satellites and military use.

Image source, Reuters

One potential stop for Kim is Vostochny Cosmodrome, a space launch centre about 1,500km (950 miles) north of Vladivostok - which was thought to be his planned destination.

It was first reported by the New York Times, external earlier this month that Kim could visit the space centre after Vladivostok.

North Korea may seek co-operation from Russia for its own space programme, which late last month failed a second time to place a spy satellite in orbit after a rocket failure.

But Russia's own space programme has its own problems.

It tried and failed last month to land on the moon and has faced a host of challenges, external since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, analysts say, including the loss of key technologies, Western sanctions and widespread corruption.

Several hours ago, we quoted South Korean defence ministry announcing that Kim had entered Russia - they were the first to report the news, before Russia media.

Now here's video from that briefing - the South Koreans say they will be "watching closely" any development on arms sales and technology negotiations.

Destination unclear as Kim enters Russiapublished at 08:00 British Summer Time 12 September 2023

08:00 BST 12 September 2023

Steve Rosenberg
BBC Russia editor

When a world leader goes abroad, the visit is normally announced well in advance. Journalists usually know when, where, what is going to be happening.

But "normally" doesn’t seem to apply to Kim Jong Un.

Moscow and Pyongyang only confirmed his Russia visit yesterday - but without mentioning where exactly he’s heading, or where his talks with President Putin will be held.

The initial rumour was Vladivostok. It made sense. That’s where Vladimir Putin is right now for the Eastern Economic Forum. It’s also where Kim Jong Un came in 2019.

But state TV in the Russian far east has reported that Kim’s train has left Ussuriysk in the direction of Khabarovsk. A different direction!

In short: final destination still unclear.

There's further doubt now on whether Kim is headed straight to Vladivostok. In the past hour we've seen more reports of his green train appearing to bypass the city - heading north instead.

Another Russian state media agency, Ria, says Kim's armoured train has pulled into a station at Ussuriysk, a city north of Vladivostok.

The train - which had been travelling from Khasan on the border - should have changed course southwards before reaching Ussuriysk if it was headed in Vladivostok's direction, analysts say.

We had assumed that Kim may be meeting Putin in the port city of Vladivostok - the site of the Eastern Economic Forum which Putin has been attending.

However, the Kremlin has only said that they would be meeting in Russia's far east.

"We are not telling yet [where talks will take place]. In the far east," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian journalists a few hours ago.

There will be two meetings: one between the two delegations, and a one-on-one for just the two leaders. An official dinner will take place after that, reports Tass news agency.

Image source, Reuters

The Russian president has just spoken at an economic forum in Vladivostok, Russian state media agency Tass reports.

He says Russia is developing weapons with "laser, ultra-sonic and radio-frequency arms". We'll try and get a clearer picture of what that could mean later.

Putin was speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum, an annual meeting which aims to encourage Chinese investment in Russia's Far East. The economic forum has been particularly domestic-focused this year with few high-profile guests.

Kim's meeting with Putin is expected to take place after the forum concludes on Wednesday, although the two may meet for dinner beforehand.

Kim left his train to meet Russian representatives when it pulled into the border station of Khasan on Tuesday morning, Reuters news agency has reported, citing an unnamed source.

We already know that he received some sort of welcome ceremony at the border stop, where his train would have also changed onto the Russian tracks.

His destination is thought to be the port city of Vladivostok - where Putin arrived yesterday for an economic forum.

The green train that Kim is believed to be travelling in has been spotted at a railway station in Ussuriysk, a Russian city 98km (61 miles) north of Vladivostok, a pro-Kremlin source reported.

Entrances and exits to the station are blocked, Readovka said in a Telegram update at 14:13pm local time, external (04:19 GMT).

Russian agencies reported that Kim arrived in the Russian border station of Khasan about four hours ago. It is unclear what time he will arrive in Vladivostok.

Image source, Reuters

Good morning to our readers in the UK and Europe. If you're just joining us, here's what we know so far about Kim Jong Un's trip to Russia to meet Vladimir Putin.

• Kim is believed to be on his way to the port city of Vladivostok via rail. Reports say that he entered the border station of Khasan on Tuesday morning.
• The meeting between the two leaders will take place "in coming days", after the conclusion of the Eastern Economic Forum, the Kremlin has said.
• Kim has brought top military officials with him. The two countries are expected to finalise an arms deal that could see Pyongyang supply weapons to fuel Russia's war in Ukraine. The North may in turn get much-needed humanitarian aid for its sanction-starved country.
• This comes amid repeated warnings from the US to the North against helping to arm Russia.
• The Kremlin has said Russia is "not interested" in Washington's warnings and will instead focus on the interests of Pyongyang and Moscow.

Image source, Reuters

Yuna Ku and Derek Cai
BBC News

Image source, Reuters

Basically, ammunition: Russia needs a lot of it in its war against Ukraine.

And North Korea, one of the most heavily militarised countries in the world, has plenty to spare.

The most likely weapons they'll offer Russia are bullets, shells, and even old missiles, Kim Dong-yup, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, told the BBC.

The country has tens of millions of artillery shells and rockets, according to some estimates. Analysts believe there could be a healthy stockpile because the North has not fought a war since the Korean War ended in 1953.

Prof Kim said handing these older munitions to Russia will not dampen the North's defence capabilities - at a recent military parade, their army appeared to be armed with new weapons.

Pyongyang's firearms are also largely based on Soviet weapons systems. That makes North Korean munitions, to a large degree, compatible with Russia's arsenal.

Image source, Reuters

In July, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu paid a visit to Pyongyang as it was celebrating a key anniversary.

That foray is now being seen as both a courtship and a shopping trip. Shoigu was given a flashy tour of North Korea's weapons, with Kim showing off the North's missiles including the Hwasong intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Analysts believe Shoigu's trip laid the foundations for Kim's visit to Vladivostok and a possible arms sale.

In late August, a group of North Korean military officials also travelled to Vladivostok from Pyongyang before going on to Moscow, the New York Times reported. That 10-day trip could be seen as a planning expedition.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Jean Mackenzie
Seoul correspondent

The deeper into trouble these two leaders have sunk, the more they appear to have realised they need each other.

The US believes the two countries are due to finalise an arms deal that would see North Korea supply ammunition and artillery for the war in Ukraine.

While Vladimir Putin needs weapons to fuel his war in Ukraine, Kim Jong Un needs money, oil, and food, to support his sanction-starved regime.

In return for sending ammunition and artillery to the frontline, it’s thought Mr Kim could also ask Russia to hand over advanced weapons technology, that would allow him to make breakthroughs in his own nuclear weapons programme.

The two leaders are sending a strong political message, that they plan to support each other going forward. Regardless of whether this is true, their planned meeting is no doubt intended to warn Washington not to go too far in its support for Ukraine.

Just to circle back now to the Kremlin's statements earlier - Moscow also issued comments bristling at the US' criticism of the meeting.

Russia is "not interested" in Washington's warnings, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

The US' State Department on Monday had described Russia reaching out to North Korea - an "international pariah" - as a "strategic failure".

They said Putin had travelled to the ends of Russia, "hat in hand to beg Kim Jong Un for military assistance".

Washington has also consistently warned North Korea, as well as China and Iran, against aiding Russia in its fighting in Ukraine.

But the Kremlin says: "While implementing our relations with our neighbours, including North Korea, the interests of our two countries are important to us, and not warnings from Washington.

"It is the interests of our two countries that we will focus on."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Earlier we heard from South Korea's defence who said they were "closely watching" any arms deal negotiations between Pyongyang and Moscow.

Pictures released by North Korean media show top military officials in Kim Jong Un's entourage.

They include commander of the Korean People's Army Ri Pyong Chol, his number two, Pak Jong Chon, and Jo Chun Ryong, the director of North Korea's Munitions Industry Department.

Pyongyang has been seeking to strengthen military ties with Moscow as South Korea, the US and Japan have gotten cosier this year. Meanwhile the US has repeatedly warned the North against helping arm Russia.