Dictator Kim will ask for food aid and weapons technology in exchange for supplying Russia with Soviet-made ammunition

The deal is expected arms will be high on the agenda as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un heads to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin, whose government is seeking to replenish supplies depleted during the war against Ukraine.

The Washington Post reported that "Kim heads to Russia with a rare trump card: a weapon Putin wants.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitriy Peskov said he expects a "full-scale" visit with negotiations between delegations and an “official dinner”.

"North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in Russia with a rare coin ahead of his meeting with President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders are expected to discuss a possible arms deal to bolster Russia's military presence in Ukraine. This is why they are meeting and what Putin and Kim might want. It will be Kim's first known international trip since the imposition of strict border closures due to the pandemic in early 2020. Russia and China became the first visitors to North Korea after the pandemic in July,” the journalists note.

The meeting in Vladivostok is likely to heighten concerns in Washington and like-minded capitals about increased military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang at a critical juncture in Russia's war in Ukraine. U.S. and South Korean officials have also warned that North Korea could receive critical technology from Russia to bolster Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

The two leaders are increasingly finding their perceived interests aligned in their efforts to reduce U.S. influence in the region. .

Kim Jong Un is likely to ask for food aid and weapons technology in exchange for supplying Russia with Soviet-made munitions, according to U.S. and South Korean officials and security experts. Pyongyang is also likely to be interested in increasing the number of North Korean workers working in Russia to earn much-needed foreign currency, despite UN bans.

The Guardian noted that neither leader plans to hold a press- conference There is also no confirmation on the exact location of the meeting or Kim Jong Un's participation in the economic forum.

According to North Korea's official news agency KCNA, Kim is accompanied on his trip by high-ranking government officials, including military personnel. The delegation is believed to include his Foreign Minister Choi Soon-hui and prominent party members in charge of defense industry and military affairs, including Director of the Armaments Industry Department Cho Chun-ryong.

Michael Madden, an expert on of North Korea's leadership at Washington's Stimson Center, said: "The presence of Jo Chun-ryong indicates that North Korea and Russia will enter into some type of agreement on the purchase/sale of munitions.