The Russian president arrived in Pyongyang this Wednesday for his very first official visit in 24 years.
He was welcomed at the airport by the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in person.
The two leaders met in 2019 in Vladivostok in eastern Russia.
Vladimir Poutine is accompanied by several senior officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Relationships that grow stronger every day
Ties between the two states have strengthened in recent years, particularly since Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine. Moscow faces a continuing shortage of weapons in the conflict, which has lasted more than two years.
There North Korea subject to heavy economic sanctions from the UN Security Council because of its nuclear weapons programs, needs help with space technology for its missiles. It also lacks fuel, food, and foreign currency.
Washington and Seoul have accused Pyongyang of providing Moscow with artillery and other equipment, in exchange for whatever North Korea lacks. But both countries deny the existence of any arms market.
And while the anti-Western sentiment of the two “pariahs” is particularly strong, the UNITED STATES are increasingly worried about this idyll.
“We are not concerned about Mr. Putin’s trip” John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council, told reporters on Monday. “What concerns us is the deepening of relations between these two countries.”
After North Korea, the Kremlin said Vladimir Putin would also travel to Vietnam for talks expected to focus on trade.