Putin and Kim last met in Vladivostok in September last year. At the time, Putin said he saw opportunities for military cooperation with North Korea.
21:11•Updated 21:41
President of Russia Vladimir Putin has arrived for a visit to North Korea, the Kremlin announced.
Putin’s traveling party includes, among others, the Minister of Defense Andrei Belousov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrovsays BBC.
Putin’s plane landed in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, this evening Finnish time, but the day had already turned to Wednesday in the host country.
According to the news agency Tassi, Putin met the leader of North Korea at the airport Kim Jong-un. The visit is Putin’s first to North Korea since 2000.
Putin and Kim last met in Vladivostok in September last year. At the time, Putin said he saw opportunities for military cooperation with North Korea.
Now, while waiting for Putin, the North Korean state television screened an old recording of the Russian army choir performing marching songs accompanied.
The United States and South Korea have accused North Korea of supplying Russia with artillery and other equipment, likely in exchange for food and military smoke. Russia is also believed to have provided assistance to North Korea’s satellite program.
Cooperation between Russia and North Korea is deepening
During the visit, North Korea’s state media published an article in which Putin praised “comrade” Kim and said he appreciated North Korea’s support for Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.
– We greatly appreciate the fact that North Korea resolutely supports the special military operations that Russia is conducting in Ukraine. With the trip, bilateral cooperation will rise to a higher level through our joint efforts. This, in turn, leads to a reciprocal and equal partnership between Russia and North Korea, Putin wrote.
Russian news agencies reported on Monday that Putin and Kim will sign important and comprehensive documents during the visit.
– The parties can claim that it is a broad cooperation, and after all, both countries have serious financial problems. But whatever terms are used, the current relationship will focus on defense cooperation, said a researcher on Asia-Pacific security at the Hudson Institute By Patrick Cronin to the South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Updated throughout at 9:41 p.m