Vladimir Putin with Kim Jong Un
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in North Korea early Wednesday, the Kremlin said, kicking off a tour aimed at strengthening defence ties between the two nuclear-armed nations as Moscow wages its war in Ukraine.
Shortly after the pre-dawn touchdown, Russian TV showed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un greeting Putin in the dark on a red carpet at Pyongyang’s airport, shaking hands and embracing before being driven through streets decked with Russian flags.
Putin’s visit to the isolated nation is his first in 24 years, following a recent clash between North and South Korean forces on the shared border, which highlighted regional security worries.
Moscow and Pyongyang have been allies since North Korea’s establishment following World War II, and their relationship has become even stronger since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which resulted in the West isolating Putin worldwide.
The US and its allies have accused North Korea of supplying Russia with vital weapons, including ballistic missiles for use in Ukraine.
The North has denied providing Russia with military gear, but before his trip, Putin hailed Kim’s leadership for its assistance in the war effort.
“We highly appreciate that the DPRK (North Korea) is firmly supporting the special military operations of Russia being conducted in Ukraine”, Putin noted.
Putin went on to say, “Russia and the North are now actively developing the many-sided partnership”.
Both countries have faced a slew of United Nations sanctions, Pyongyang since 2006 for its illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, and Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
Putin commended North Korea for defending their interests very effectively despite the US economic pressure, provocation, blackmail and military threats that have lasted for decades.
He also praised Moscow and Pyongyang for maintaining the common line and standing at the UN.
North Korea stated that the visit demonstrated that bilateral ties are getting stronger by the day.
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