North Korea’s Kim Inspects Russian Fighter Jets

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday inspected a Russian fighter jet factory that is under Western sanctions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and deepening cooperation when they met at a summit on Wednesday.

South Korea and the United States said on Friday that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia was a violation of U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang, and that the allies would ensure there is a price to pay.

Putin told reporters that Russia was “not going to violate anything”, but would keep developing relations with North Korea.

His Spokesman said no agreements had been signed during Kim’s visit on military issues or any other topic.

Kim, 39, on Friday visited aviation facilities in the far Eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the Yuri Gagarin Aviation Plant and the Yakovlev plant, both units of United Aircraft Corporation, which is sanctioned by the West.

At the Gagarin plant, which is also specifically sanctioned by the United States, Kim inspected the assembly workshops where the Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighter and Su-57 fighter are made, escorted by Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, the Government said.

REUTERS