North Korea welcomes Putin minister as Russia begs for nuclear weapons

North Korea has pulled out all the stops to welcome Vladimir Putin’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu to the hermit state.

It comes following Ukrainian suspicions his visit to Pyongyang is linked to seeking new weapons and ammunition for a “long war”.

Shoigu, one of Putin’s closest allies, has embarked on the three-day visit to the repressive state to participate in Victory Day – the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War armistice on July 27, 1953.

READ MORE: Putin's millionaire wiretapping boss, 40, found dead in suspicious circumstances

Shoigu was pictured in his army general’s uniform as he was greeted by hundreds of uniformed KPA soldiers.

The crowd were lined up holding welcome signs while the Russian national anthem in Pyongyang.

‌Hundreds of uniformed KPA soldiers lined the airport holding signs welcoming Putin's defence minister.

A high-level Chinese delegation was led by Politburo member Li Hongzhong as Kim Jong-un staged a military parade showcasing his latest arsenal.

But reports claim the purpose of Shoigu’s visit was to boost the supply of artillery shells for his forces in Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine.

“North Korea is selling artillery shells to Russia and building up its nuclear capability,” reported The Moscow Times.

• 

  Putin warned Wagner mercenaries 'itching to go on tour to major European capital'

The visits are the first known foreign delegations to North Korea since the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

Pyongyang is seen as deepening its ties with Beijing and Moscow, finding common ground in their rivalries with Washington and the West.

Washington has accused North Korea of supplying weapons for the war in Ukraine.

Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said the fact that Russia's defence minister flew to Pyongyang while his country was at war is "very significant”.

• 

  Wagner commander admits rebels 'didn't have a clue' during armed mutiny against Putin

The visit comes as Putin is reportedly preparing for a “long war”.

He has acted this week to massively swell the numbers of young men he can conscript, widening the age cohort for the compulsory draft from 18 to 30, and cracking down on exemptions and the ability to evade military service.

He is to permit regional armed military companies controlled by loyal governors, aimed at stamping out potential revolts against his regime.

A close ally Col-Gen Andrey Kartapolov, a Russian MP and loyalist parliamentary defence committee chairman told the legislature ominously: “This law was written for a big war, for general mobilisation.

Keep up to date with all the latest news stories. By signing up for one of Daily Star's free newsletters here.

• 

  Kids to be taught 'how to operate combat drones' in Russian school lessons

“And now this already smells like a big war.”

He slammed MPs for looking to exempt certain groups, or make it easier to evade the draft – as the children of many politicians do.

“We all continue to look for whom we should remove from [mobilisation], who we should protect,” he said.

But he warned: “Later there will be no-one to protect….”

He taunted MPs “who vote for the preservation of a comfortable life for draft dodgers” by enabling them to flee abroad.

Source: Read Full Article