The West is concerned that Moscow and Pyongyang are strengthening their alliance just as Russia tries to regain the edge in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked autocrat Kim Jong Un for his support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine ahead of a rare trip to North Korea on Tuesday.
The two-day visit — the first for a Russian leader in a quarter century — comes as the two nations strengthen their alliance against increasing pressures from Washington.
Putin is expected to arrive later on Tuesday after making a stopover in the Russian diamond-making region of Sakha, in the country’s far east.
In Pyongyang, streets have been already decorated with Putin’s portraits and Russian flags. A banner hung on a building said: “We warmly welcome the President of the Russian Federation.”
In an op-ed published by North Korean state media before his arrival, Putin praised Pyongyang’s steadfast support for his invasion of Ukraine and stated that the two countries would firmly oppose what he described as Western ambitions “to hinder the establishment of a multipolar world order based on mutual respect for justice.”
Putin also announced plans to develop new trade and payment systems independent of Western control and jointly counter what he termed “unilateral and illegal restrictive measures” imposed by the West.
