Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrival in North Korea for a two-day state visit was met with a warm reception from North Korea’s ruler Kim Jong Un at the airport in Pyongyang.
Observers note that the visit will likely focus on further arms deliveries from Pyongyang, which Moscow intends to use in its conflict with Ukraine.
The main part of the visit is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.
The day started with a meeting between Putin and Kim on Kim Il Sung Square, Pyongyang’s urban and symbolic center.
Extensive negotiations were planned, starting with one-on-one talks and then expanding to a larger scale.
In addition to several meals together, a wreath-laying ceremony and a joint concert visit were also announced.
In a rare visit to the reclusive nuclear-armed state, the Russian leader and his host signed a comprehensive strategic partnership that could deepen their military and economic cooperation as both countries face global sanctions and confrontations with the United States and its allies.
The deal could expand transfers of military technology to Pyongyang in exchange for supplies of munitions that Moscow’s military badly needs for its conflict in Ukraine. U.S. officials previously told NBC News that such transfers could vastly enhance North Korea’s nuclear capabilities and threaten the Asia-Pacific region.
Kim, who has been accelerating weapons testing and stoking tensions with U.S. ally South Korea, promised his “full support” for what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Putin’s visit, his first to North Korea in 24 years, comes as the Kremlin’s forces push for breakthroughs in Ukraine’s east and north while Kyiv’s defenses have been bolstered by new commitments from its own allies.
The last time Putin was in North Korea was in 2000 when he was received by Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il.
He said after a long break in the relationship, the two countries have recently moved closer together, not least because of the Ukraine war.
Standing before a large crowd of cheering civilians, Putin and Kim greeted officials on a red carpet outside the city’s central library, from which two giant portraits of them stared down.
Military bands played the two countries’ national anthems, and children waved balloons and the Russian and North Korean flags.
Kim and Putin then left for summit talks at the Kumsusan Palace.
“We highly appreciate your consistent and unwavering support for Russian policy, including on Ukraine,” Putin said in opening remarks before the start of the talks, according to Russian state media.
He also said Russia was fighting “the imperialist policy the United States and its satellites imposed for decades against Russia.”