Russian President Putin receives grand welcome in first visit to North Korea in 24 years

CNN
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Thousands of North Koreans lined Pyongyang’s wide boulevards on Wednesday, waving Russian and North Korean flags and bouquets of flowers and chanting “Welcome Putin!” as Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea for the first time in 24 years.

Putin was greeted with wild fanfare along with Kim Jong Un at a welcoming ceremony at Kim Il Sung Square in the heart of the North Korean capital, where horse-mounted soldiers, soldiers and children carrying balloons cheered against a backdrop of large portraits of the two leaders.

Putin and Kim Jong Un introduced their respective delegations and stood together as the Russian national anthem was played, before the two autocrats climbed side by side into an open-top limousine, smiling and waving to the crowds.

Putin made an extraordinary visit to North Korea early Wednesday local time, signaling deepening ties between Moscow and Pyongyang in the face of shared hostility toward the West and international concerns about growing military cooperation.

Several governments have accused North Korea of ​​supplying weapons to Moscow for its brutal war in Ukraine, a charge both countries deny despite significant evidence of such transfers.

Speaking ahead of their meeting, Kim said he “fully supports and stands in solidarity with the struggle of the Russian government, military and people,” specifically pointing to Russia’s war in Ukraine to “protect its sovereignty, security and territorial stability.”

“The situation remains complex and rapidly changing, but I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate that we will strengthen strategic communication and coordinate closely with the (Russian) leadership,” Kim added.

Putin praised ties between the two countries as being based on “equality and mutual respect” and said the expected new bilateral agreement “will be the cornerstone of our relations for years to come,” according to the Russian state news agency TASS, adding that he hoped Kim would visit Moscow for the next round of talks.

The diplomacy marks a clear sign of expanding ties between the two countries and a major boost for Kim, who remains isolated on the international stage because of his illicit weapons program and has not hosted other world leaders in the capital since the pandemic.

Kim Jong Un, the third-generation leader of North Korea’s iron-fisted ruling dynasty, was visibly smiling as he welcomed Putin to the airport early on Wednesday, video footage of the Russian leader’s arrival showed.

According to North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency, the two then traveled together to the Kumsusan State Guesthouse where Putin was staying.

The two leaders then “exchanged views and opened their hearts in order to develop relations more steadily in line with the common wishes and will of the two peoples,” the Korean Central News Agency reported.

As ties between the two countries deepen, there are growing concerns in both Seoul and Washington not only about arms transfers from North Korea to Russia, but also about the possibility that Moscow could transfer advanced military technology to help North Korea develop weapons while it remains under heavy sanctions.

Tensions remain high on the Korean peninsula as Kim Jong Un has become increasingly bellicose in recent months, abandoning a long-held policy of peaceful unification with South Korea.

Putin’s visit follows Kim Jong Un’s landmark visit to Russia last year, with the two leaders widely seen as opening a new chapter in relations between the two countries given Putin’s need for North Korean weapons for his ongoing offensive.

A U.S. statement in February said Russia has received more than 10,000 containers worth 260,000 tons of military or military-related materials from North Korea since September, and Russian forces have fired at least 10 North Korean-made missiles at Ukraine since September, a U.S. official said in March.

This is a developing story and will be updated.