North Korea's Kim Jong-un promises Putin full support for Russia's 'sacred fight'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed support for Russia's "sacred fight" during a summit with President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that the U.S. warned could lead to a deal to supply ammunition for Moscow's war in Ukraine.

After touring launch pads with Putin at a remote space base in Russia's Far East, Kim expressed "full and unconditional support" and said Pyongyang will always stand with Moscow on the "anti-imperialist" front.

The leaders met at the Vostochny Cosmodrome for a summit that underscores how their interests are aligning in the face of their countries' separate, intensifying confrontations with the United States. The talks wrapped after just under five hours, Russian state media reported.

North Korea may have tens of millions of aging artillery shells and rockets based on Soviet designs that could give a huge boost to the Russian army in Ukraine, analysts say.

The decision to meet at the cosmodrome, Russia's most important domestic satellite launch facility, suggests that Kim is seeking Russian technical assistance for his efforts to develop military reconnaissance satellites, which he has described as crucial in enhancing the threat of his nuclear-capable missiles. In recent months, North Korea has repeatedly failed to put its first military spy satellite into orbit.

But either buying arms from or providing rocket technology to North Korea would violate international sanctions that Russia has supported in the past.

Kim to make more stops in Russia

Putin told Russian state TV that Kim was to visit two more cities in Russia on his own after the summit, flying to Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where he will visit an aircraft plant, and then go to Vladivostok to view Russia's Pacific Fleet, a university and other facilities.

Russia and North Korea have "lots of interesting projects" in spheres like transportation and agriculture, he said.

Moscow is providing its neighbour with humanitarian aid, but there also are opportunities for "working as equals," Putin added.

He dodged the issue, however, of their military co-operation, saying only that Russia is abiding by the sanctions prohibiting procurement of weapons from Pyongyang.

"There are certain restrictions. Russia is following all of them. There are things we can talk about, we're discussing, thinking. Russia is a self-sufficient country, but there are things we can bring attention to. We're discussing them," he said.

Missile launch in Asia

The meeting came hours after North Korea fired two ballistic missiles toward the sea, extending a highly provocative run in North Korean weapons testing since the start of 2022, as Kim used the distraction caused by Putin's war on Ukraine to accelerate his weapons development.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff didn't immediately say how far the North Korean missiles flew. Japan's Coast Guard, citing Tokyo's Defence Ministry, said the missiles have likely already landed but still urged vessels to watch for falling objects.

Despite the recent frequency of North Korean missile firings, Wednesday's launches on the eve of the summit came as a surprise. South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said it was the first time the North launched a missile while Kim was travelling overseas.

Putin welcomed Kim's limousine, brought from Pyongyang in the North Korean leader's special armoured train, at the entrance to the launch facility with a handshake that lasted around 40 seconds. In his opening remarks, Putin welcomed Kim to Russia and said he was glad to see him, saying the talks would cover economic co-operation, humanitarian issues and the "situation in the region."

Kim, in turn, expressed support for Moscow's efforts to defend its interests, in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine.

"Russia is waging a sacred fight to defend its sovereignty, security interests and justice," the North Korean leader said. "I take this opportunity to affirm that we will always stand with Russia on the anti-imperialist front."

The two men began their meeting with a tour of a Soyuz-2 space rocket launch facility, at which Kim peppered a Russian space official with questions about the rockets.

After the talks, the Russian president threw an official lunch for Kim, Russian state media reported.

Official photos showed that Kim was accompanied by Pak Thae Song, chairman of North Korea's space science and technology committee, and navy Adm. Kim Myong Sik, who are linked with North Korean efforts to acquire spy satellites and nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarines, according to South Korea's Unification Ministry.

Kim also brought Jo Chun Ryong, a ruling party official in charge of munitions policies who joined him on recent tours of factories producing artillery shells and missiles, according to South Korea officials.