On June 19, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin was greeted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a welcome ceremony at Pyongyang Airport in North Korea.
Gavriel Grigorov | Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin was given a grand reception in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, as Western officials fretted about growing ties between the two nuclear-armed powers.
North Korean state television showed that after Putin arrived at Pyongyang International Airport at around 2:45 a.m. local time, the two leaders embraced each other warmly on the red carpet outside Pyongyang International Airport, kicking off his first visit in 24 years.
State television reports showed the two leaders leaving in a car together and showed images of Pyongyang streets lined with flags, banners and posters promoting Putin and ties with Russia.
During their first meeting, the Russian and North Korean leaders shared “repressed inner thoughts” and agreed to further develop relations between the two countries, state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.
The official newspaper of North Korea’s ruling party reported on Tuesday that Putin praised Kim’s leadership and pledged to help develop trade and strengthen security across Eurasia. The article added that he supported North Korea against its “dangerous and aggressive” enemy.
Ahead of the expected two-day visit, Russian officials also said the two countries could sign a “comprehensive strategic partnership” as ties continue to develop.
Western countries that impose severe sanctions on Russia and North Korea have been closely watching the progress of the visit and the potential impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine and tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told joint press conference On Tuesday, Putin’s visit “confirmed the very close alliance between Russia and authoritarian states such as North Korea, as well as China and Iran”. Stoltenberg made the comments alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
U.S. officials claimed that Pyongyang has provided dozens of ballistic missiles and more than 11,000 containers of ammunition for Russia’s war in Ukraine, and that Putin could use the trip to lobby for the purchase of more weapons.
“Of course, we are also concerned about potential Russian support for North Korea in terms of supporting its missile and nuclear programmes,” Stoltenberg said.
Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and chairman of South Korea at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on Wednesday that he agreed that North Korea’s arms supply to Russia could be reciprocated by the Kremlin’s support for its nuclear program. .
“The question is how strongly Putin believes he needs North Korea’s ammunition to survive and win the war,” Cha said. “That could lower the terms he’s willing to offer North Korea, especially if Kim Jong Un pushes for a hardline deal”.
Early last year, Kim Jong Un ordered an “exponential” expansion of the country’s nuclear arsenal and the development of more powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to state media reports.
“The number one supplier (for expansion) will probably be Russia,” Cha said. “This is a real problem for the United States…A war in Ukraine is the best thing that could happen to Kim Jong Un.”
The White House has warned that any Russian aid to North Korea’s weapons programs could have repercussions for South Korea.
On Tuesday, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told a news conference that the growing relationship between Russia and North Korea “should be of great concern to all those interested in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.”
However, Cha said the United States may be limited in its ability to slow the flow of arms between Russia and South Korea without risking direct war.
“(The Biden administration) is giving it more public attention, but policy-wise, I really don’t see any indication that they’re trying to do anything about it,” he said.
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