North Korea's Kim gets a close look at Russian fighter jets amid narrowing focus to weapons

Since entering Russia aboard his armored train on Tuesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has met President Vladimir Putin and visited weapons and technology sites, underscoring deepening ties between the two nations locked in separate confrontations with the West.

Seoul : North Korean leader Kim Jong Un peered into the cockpit of Russia's most advanced fighter jet as he toured an aircraft factory Friday on an extended and rare foreign trip that has raised concerns about banned weapons transfer deals between increasingly isolated countries.

Since entering Russia aboard his armored train on Tuesday, Kim has met President Vladimir Putin and visited weapons and technology sites, underscoring deepening ties between the nations locked in separate confrontations with the West. Foreign governments and experts speculate Kim will likely supply ammunition to Russia for its war efforts in Ukraine in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Russia.

Earlier Friday, Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti published video showing Kim's train pulling into a station in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Kim's convoy sweeping out of the station shortly afterward. Later, the region's governor posted on social media pictures showing Kim at the aircraft factory, looking at the Su-57, Russia's most sophisticated fighter jet, and shaking hands with a pilot. One photo showed a demonstration flight of a Su-35, another Russian fighter jet manufactured at the plant.

The governor, Mikhail Degtyarev, said Kim's late father, Kim Jong Il, also visited the plant in 2002. Our fathers and grandfathers jointly fought against the Japanese militarism, our country supported North Korea in its fight against the U.S. imperial ambitions in the 1950s and now we are jointly resisting Western pressure, he said. I'm sure that our countries will keep upholding the ideals of freedom and the multipolar world through our joint efforts.

Besides Degtyarev, Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov accompanied Kim to the plant. According to a Russian Cabinet statement, Kim visited a facility producing Sukhoi SJ-100 passenger planes as well. We have shown one of our leading aircraft plants to the leader of (North Korea), Manturov said in the statement. We are seeing potential for cooperation in the aircraft-making and other industries, which is particularly acute for solving our countries task of achieving technological sovereignty.

Kim is to travel next to Vladivostok to view Russia's Pacific fleet, a university and other facilities, Putin told Russian media after he met with Kim. Experts say in return for helping Putin replenish war supplies, Kim would seek Russian help to modernize his air force and navy, which are inferior to those of rival South Korea while Kim has devoted much of his own resources to his nuclear weapons program.

The summit between Kim and Putin on Wednesday took place at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia's most important domestic launch center. North Korea has struggled to put into space an operational spy satellite to monitor U.S. and South Korean military movements. Asked if Russia and North Korea could cooperate in space research, Putin said: That's why we have come here. (Kim) shows keen interest in rocket technology. They're trying to develop space, too."

Putin, for his part, would want to receive ammunition, artillery shells and even ballistic missiles from North Korea to replenish his exhausted arms inventory in the second year of Russia's war in Ukraine, foreign experts say. (AP)