The Russian president told Kim Jong-un that he appreciates North Korea's support for Ukraine because the two countries have deep ties.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has pledged “full support and solidarity” for Russia's war in Ukraine, as President Vladimir Putin said during their meeting in Pyongyang, saying Moscow has been fighting for decades with the United States and its allies. Fighting against “authoritarian and imperialist policy”. Allies
Putin thanked Kim for his “unwavering” support on Ukraine on Wednesday.
The Russian leader is on his first visit to North Korea in 24 years, since Moscow launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine and growing concern that Pyongyang is offering Russia weapons in exchange for Russian technological expertise, both The relations between the countries are getting closer.
Russia and North Korea have denied arms transfers but pledged to strengthen military ties.
Reporting from Yeonpyeong, South Korea, Al Jazeera's Rob McBride said the two leaders “tried to present a united face to the world despite the various crises”.
“It was a show of strength, a show of unity, that they believe in and want other people to enter a new era in their relationship,” he said. “It all culminated in the signing of a new agreement between the two, which, according to Putin, lays the foundation for relations for years to come.”
The Kremlin did not detail the contents of the new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement on Wednesday, but it said on Monday that it would replace previous bilateral documents and declarations signed in 1961, 2000 and 2001.
Speaking after his meeting with Kim, Putin said the new agreement was defensive in nature and included a promise of “mutual assistance” if either was attacked, Russian news agencies reported, as He called it a “progressive” deal that would strengthen ties between the two countries. A “new level”.
Welcome to the red carpet
Putin arrived in the North Korean capital before sunrise on Wednesday, where Kim was waiting to greet him despite the early morning hours.
The two men shook hands and embraced while a woman in the traditional Korean hanbok presented Putin with a bouquet of red roses.
Kim then joined Putin in his limousine as they rode in a motorcade, along streets decorated with the Russian flag and portraits of the Russian leader, to the Kumsusan state guesthouse.
Putin and Kim attended an official reception in Kim Il Sung Square, with lines of soldiers standing at attention and crowds of children lining the square, which was decorated with banners and balloons.
Earlier, North Korea's state news agency KCNA called the meeting between the two leaders a historic event that showed the “invincibility and durability” of the friendship and alliance between North Korea and Russia.
It added that the two countries' relations have “emerged as a strong strategic bulwark to safeguard international justice, peace and security and accelerate the construction of a new multipolar world”.
Putin and Kim last met in eastern Russia in September 2023.
Putin is accompanied by several top officials, including Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Deputy Prime Minister Denis Mantrov.
Concerns about weapons
North Korea has been under tough UN Security Council sanctions for years over its nuclear weapons and missile programs. Russia is also facing sanctions from the US and its allies over its invasion of Ukraine.
Along with China, North Korea's main ally, Russia, has repeatedly blocked US-led efforts to impose new UN sanctions on North Korea's weapons tests and satellite launches.
In March, a Russian veto ended UN sanctions monitoring, prompting Western accusations that Moscow is trying to avoid scrutiny as it buys weapons from Pyongyang for use in Ukraine. US and South Korean officials have said they are discussing options for a new approach to monitoring Pyongyang.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blanken said in Washington, D.C., that Putin's visit to North Korea reflects how Russia has sought to develop and strengthen ties with countries it sees as aggressive in the face of frustration. can provide as needed to continue the war. has started against Ukraine.
“North Korea is supplying Russia with significant weapons … and other weapons for use in Ukraine. Iran is supplying weapons, including drones, to NATO,” Blanken told reporters after meeting with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday. Used against civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Stoltenberg reiterated concerns about “potential support that Russia provides to North Korea to support their missile and nuclear programs.”
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have risen in recent months amid North Korea's weapons tests and large-scale military exercises in South Korea.
A 2018 military accord between the two countries collapsed last year and Pyongyang has been strengthening its defenses along the border.
South Korea said on Tuesday that its forces had to fire warning shots when North Korean troops, engaged in mine-laying and other activities, apparently crossed the border by mistake. One such incident took place on June 9.
Putin is expected to arrive in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Wednesday night, where he will receive a warm welcome despite US condemnation of the country over plans to host the Russian leader.
That makes Putin's visit to Hanoi particularly important for the Russian leader, said Alexander Vuong of the Hawaii-based Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies.