Russian president Vladimir Putin will meet with North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un this week in a rare diplomatic visit that could strengthen their growing alliance against Western powers amid the war in Ukraine.
Putin’s two-day trip starts Tuesday, the Kremlin said, and is followed by a visit to Vietnam starting Wednesday. Details of the talks weren’t immediately provided, but Russia is expected to seek support for its war campaign more than two years after invading Ukraine.
Putin’s North Korea visit, his first to the country since 2000, comes after Kim traveled to Russia last September. The North Korean leader traveled in his armored train to Russia, where it was speculated that he discussed providing military equipment in exchange for advanced technology and food aid.
The burgeoning diplomatic relations between the two powers will likely concern the U.S. and its allies, as they have accused North Korea of supplying weapons to Russia in recent months. Both countries have repeatedly denied involvement in the arms transfers.
In May, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told Congress that North Korea’s provision of munitions and missiles, as well as Iran’s provision of drones, helped Russia “get back up on their feet.” Three months prior, the State Department reported that North Korea delivered over 10,000 containers of munitions or related materials to Russia since September 2023.
Last week, Kim pledged to “give full support and solidarity to the successful work of the Russian army and people.” Following that statement, the Kremlin said it wants to build a partnership with North Korea “in all possible areas.”
Putin’s upcoming meeting with Kim comes mere days after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky attended the 50th G7 Summit, where Western leaders pledged their continued support for Zelensky and agreed to loan Ukraine $50 billion from frozen Russian assets.
Over the weekend, Ukraine held a peace summit in Switzerland to gather international support for Zelensky’s vision of peace. More than 80 out of 101 countries in attendance agreed with the final declaration backing Ukraine, but some Russia-aligned countries such as Saudi Arabia withheld their support.