Putin, Kim meet for talks in North Korea
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 19 for the beginning of talks expected to last throughout the day.
The two leaders attended a lavish welcome ceremony, replete with a motorcade, horses, and cheering crowds.
Putin arrived the day before on his first visit to North Korea in 24 years. Prior to the trip, Putin praised the country for backing his full-scale war against Ukraine in an op-ed in North Korean state media ahead of the visit.
With Russia's military stocks running low and domestic production capacity simultaneously hampered by Western sanctions, North Korea has been shaping up to be Russia's leading weapons supplier.
Moscow has reportedly received extensive military packages from Pyongyang, including ballistic missiles and around 5 million artillery shells.
The two countries are expected to sign a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, according to Russia's state-owned news agency TASS.
Putin claimed that Russia and North Korea would develop unspecified trade and payment systems "that are not controlled by the West" and would jointly oppose sanctions against them, which he labeled as "unilateral and illegal restrictive measures."
