Putin praises partnership with North Korea ahead of visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday was scheduled to arrive in North Korea, according to Russian state media. Before arriving in Pyongyang, Putin authored an op-ed in the North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun. In it, he described Kim’s regime as supporting Russian efforts to maintain what he called a multipolar world order, according to Kremlin-run media. Last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the Russian port city of Vladivostok, where the two leaders held talks.

What will the two leaders discuss in this meeting? Putin and Kim will work to counter Western sanctions and develop alternative trade methods not controlled by Western authorities, according to Russian state media. Additionally, the two countries will increase their tourist, student, and cultural exchanges. Putin said the United States has placed unreasonable requirements on North Korea and that North Korea, not the West, has sought to resolve its differences with the outside world peacefully.

What do U.S. officials have to say about this meeting? The United States’ defense establishment is monitoring the meetings, according to Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh. The United States knows that North Korea has been providing Russia with weapons to use in its war against Ukraine, Singh said. She added that the Kremlin has recently sought out military resources from countries like North Korea and Iran since Western countries have largely cut off channels of military, industrial, and economic support for Russia.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report in The Sift about how Russia recently offered Ukraine a peace deal.