President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia made his first visit to North Korea in nearly a quarter-century to meet with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un. The two autocrats vowed to build a joint front against the United States and deepen bilateral ties, including arms trade. This visit highlighted the importance of North Korea to Russia as one of the few like-minded countries able and willing to supply Moscow with conventional weapons for its war in Ukraine.
Mr. Kim gave Mr. Putin a red-carpet welcome in Pyongyang, and the two leaders were seen driving in the same car, a Russian-made Aurus limousine that Mr. Putin gave to Mr. Kim last year. The leaders were expected to hold talks before Mr. Putin’s move to Vietnam. The alliance between Putin and Kim has raised concerns among Washington and its allies, particularly South Korea, as it threatens to undermine efforts to curb North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and contributes to the global push for nonproliferation of nuclear weapons.
Before the meeting, Moscow used its veto power at the U.N. Security Council to disband a panel of U.N. experts enforcing sanctions aimed at hindering North Korea’s nuclear arsenal development. Putin denounced the United States’ “worldwide neocolonialist dictatorship” and commended Kim for resisting U.S. economic pressure, provocation, blackmail, and military threats. North Korea is seeking Russian help to ease oil shortages, improve weapons systems, and counter international sanctions aimed at strangling its economy.
The deepening ties between Putin and Kim have been called an engine for accelerating the building of a new multipolar world by North Korea’s official media. The two nations were described as being “in the same trench” in the struggle against Washington and its allies. Mr. Putin’s visit to North Korea highlights that global security is interconnected, and events in one region can have repercussions in others.
Analysts were keen to observe the extent and nature of the military and economic support that Kim might receive from Putin. Concerns have been raised about potential modernization of North Korea’s weapons systems as a result of assistance from Russia. North Korea’s military, known for its outdated Soviet-era weaponry, may benefit from Russian support in the form of artillery shells and other munitions needed in Ukraine’s war.
The Putin-Kim partnership signifies a shift in global dynamics and alliances, with Moscow siding with Pyongyang against the United States and its traditional allies. The meeting between the two leaders underscores the evolving geopolitical landscape in which adversarial powers forge alliances based on shared interests and opposition to established international order. The implications of this alliance on regional and global security concerns are significant and will likely shape future developments in the ongoing power struggles between major world powers.
