Putin's east asian tour: Strategic ties and unusual farewells
Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea has concluded. Although the Russian dictator continued his tour of Asia on Thursday and visited Vietnam, echoes of his meeting with Kim Jong Un are still resonating. Observers particularly remember the farewell scene at the airport.
Putin visited North Korea, marking his first visit since 2000. At Kim Jong Un's invitation, the Russian president embarked on the journey from Moscow to Pyongyang. The plane landed in the capital of the totalitarian state on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, including a mutual defence clause. Under the treaty, both sides pledge to support each other during external aggression.
According to experts, in exchange for military support, North Korea receives Russian technologies essential for the development of its missile and nuclear programmes, which violates UN sanctions imposed on Pyongyang.
A tender farewell
Besides the official part of the meeting, a few bizarre situations captured by the cameras will undoubtedly bring smiles to observers' faces for a long time.
When Vladimir Putin was about to leave North Korea and continue his journey to Vietnam, he was given all due honours at Pyongyang's airport. The prolonged farewell transitioned from ceremonial to amusing.
Kim Jong Un and his delegation stood on the airport tarmac for a long time, waving to Putin as he boarded the plane. The Russian president reciprocated. He looked out the aeroplane window and enthusiastically waved at the Korean dictator.
Anton Herashchenko posted the farewell video on platform X. "Putin and Kim Jong Un couldn't stop waving to each other as Putin was leaving for Vietnam," commented the former Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs.
