North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly started his journey to Vladivostok for a summit with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, according to BBC News. Their meeting is expected to take place as early as Tuesday, with the Kremlin confirming Kim Jong Un will visit Russia in the coming days. The two leaders will reportedly discuss North Korea supplying Russia with more weapons for its war in Ukraine and other military operations, while Kim is apparently looking for Russia to give North Korea advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines as well as food aid. Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to offer insight, commentary and analysis on this upcoming meeting. If you would like to speak with an expert, please contact GW Senior Media Relations Specialist Cate Douglass at [email protected]. Thom Shanker is the director of the Project for Media & National Security at the GW School of Media and Public Affairs. He was named director after a nearly quarter-century career with The New York Times, including 13 years as Pentagon correspondent covering the Department of Defense, overseas combat operations and national security policy. Before joining The Times, he was foreign editor of The Chicago Tribune. He spent five years as The Tribune's Moscow correspondent, covering the start of the Gorbachev era to the death of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the communist empire in Eastern Europe. Shanker says there are a number of big issues to consider that are related to this potential meeting, including what Putin might get out of this, what Kim would get out of this, and what this means to the U.S.-Ukraine-NATO effort. David Szakonyi, an associate professor of political science, is an expert on Russian politics. His research focuses on corruption, clientelism, and political economy in Russia, Western Europe, and the United States. His book, "Politics for Profit: Business, Elections, and Policymaking in Russia," examines why business people run for elected political office worldwide, how their firms perform as a result, and whether individuals with private sector experience make different policy decisions. Other research looks at the effectiveness of anti-corruption campaigns, employers mobilizing their voters to turnout during elections, and nepotism under authoritarian rule.
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