Putin’s mission: Forming new ties with Kim Jong Un in isolated North Korea
On Tuesday, June 18, Vladimir Putin began his visit to North Korea. This is the first trip by a Russian leader to the most isolated country in over twenty years, and the president did not arrive in the Asian country empty-handed.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin seeks alliances wherever someone is willing to talk to him. According to observers, his visit to North Korea is a clear signal concerning the tightening of cooperation between Russia, and the country ruled with an iron fist by Kim Jong Un.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally welcomed Vladimir Putin at the airport when he arrived in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. State media RIA reported that the two leaders talked briefly before heading to the motorcade.
The dictators then travelled together to the Kumsusan State Guesthouse, where Putin, according to North Korean state media, will be staying. The two dictators discussed even stronger cooperation.
According to the TASS agency, Putin did not come to North Korea empty-handed - Kim Jong Un received an Aurus limousine, a dagger, and a tea set from the Russian president.
We greatly appreciate your systematic and constant support of Russian policy, including on the Ukrainian issue - Putin said at the beginning of the talks.
Special preparations for Putin's visit
The streets of Pyongyang were decorated with Russian flags and posters depicting Putin ahead of his first visit to the country since 2000.
The current visit is a rare foreign trip for Putin since he began the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and a pivotal moment for Kim, who has not hosted another world leader in his politically isolated country since the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is worth noting that relations between Russia and North Korea have deepened recently.
Kim Jong Un, who rarely travels abroad, visited Vladivostok in September 2023, where he met with Putin. At the end of February, South Korea's Defense Ministry estimated that since that meeting, North Korea had sent about 7,400 containers of ammunition to Russia, which the Russian military is using during the war with Ukraine.
