Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to embark on a two-day visit to North Korea, marking his first trip to the country in over two decades. This visit underscores the deepening alignment between Russia and North Korea, raising concerns internationally.
The visit is significant as North Korean President Kim Jong Un has not hosted another world leader in Pyongyang since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The partnership between Russia and North Korea is rooted in their shared animosity towards the West, with Putin seeking support for his ongoing war in Ukraine.
During the visit, both leaders are expected to sign a new strategic partnership agreement aimed at enhancing stability in northeast Asia. This agreement will replace previous documents signed between the two countries in 1961, 2000, and 2001.
The trip comes amidst allegations that North Korea has provided military aid to Russia's war efforts, although both countries have denied these claims. The visit is seen as an opportunity for Putin to bolster Kim's support for the war in Ukraine.
Putin's efforts to strengthen ties with North Korea are part of a broader strategy to counter Western influence and re-establish Russia on the global stage. This move follows Putin's recent state visit to Beijing and a meeting of the BRICS group of major developing economies in Moscow.
The visit from a leader of a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council will signal Kim's global influence and may provide him with much-needed economic and technological support from Moscow.
While Russia previously supported sanctions against North Korea for its illegal weapons program, the shifting dynamics in international relations have led to a closer partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang. This has been exemplified by Russia's recent veto of a UN resolution to renew independent monitoring of North Korea's violations of Security Council sanctions.
