The Kremlin on Tuesday confirmed for the first time widespread expectations that Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to North Korea in the coming weeks, reciprocating a high-profile visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to Russia last month that set off alarm bells in both the U.S. and South Korea.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a press briefing that the dates for the Pyongyang visit will likely be nailed down when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visits the North Korean capital this month.
Mr. Putin “is not yet going to North Korea. He has an invitation and he accepted it with gratitude,” Mr. Peskov said, according to a report by the official Tass news agency.
Mr. Putin, who has made no foreign trips this year beyond visits to Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, has already announced plans to travel to China this month to attend a conference on President Xi Jinping’s One Belt/One Road global financing program.
Mr. Kim, who also rarely ventures beyond his borders, met with Mr. Putin at a spaceport in Russia‘s Far East region as part of an unusually lengthy five-day visit that included inspection tours of Russian nuclear strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles and warships.
The Biden administration this week expressed renewed concerns that the burgeoning North Korean-Russian alliance could include expanded shipments of North Korean artillery and other military equipment to bolster Mr. Putin‘s struggling forces in Ukraine.
“We continue to be concerned about increased ties between Russia and North Korea, especially as it comes to any potential transfer of weapons either from [North Korea] to Russia or from Russia to [North Korea],” State Department spokesman Matt Miller said in a briefing Monday.
One place Mr. Putin will likely not be visiting is San Francisco, where President Biden next month will host the annual meeting of leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Mr. Putin has limited his foreign travels in part because he faces an indictment for war crimes from the International Criminal Court over the actions of invading Russian forces in Ukraine.
Russia is an APEC member and Mr. Miller did not directly address reports that the Biden administration has told the Kremlin Mr. Putin will not be invited to attend. But he left little doubt the Russian leader should not bother clearing his calendar and packing his bags.
“He is not going to be in San Francisco in November,” Mr. Miller said. “I think we can all be pretty clear about that.”
• David R. Sands can be reached at dsands@washingtontimes.com.