"Kim and Putin's High-Stakes Meeting: Weapons Talks, Ballistic Missiles, and a Headache for China and the US"

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met at a remote space launch site in Russia's far east ahead of anticipated arms talks, while North Korea launched two ballistic missiles into the waters off the Korean Peninsula. The meeting is seen as significant, as both leaders are increasingly isolated on the world stage, and it comes amid Russia's war on Ukraine and UN sanctions. The location of the summit is provocative, suggesting that Putin may offer sanctions-violating satellite launch technology in exchange for North Korean munitions for use in Ukraine.