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Putin, Kim meet for talks in North Korea

by Nate Ostiller and The Kyiv Independent news desk June 19, 2024 10:18 AM 2 min read

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (C) and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (R) attend a welcoming ceremony at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024. (Gavril Grigorov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

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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.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un (R) attend a welcoming ceremony at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024. (Gavril Grigorov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

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.

People release balloons in the air as Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attend a welcoming ceremony at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024. (Vladimir Smirnov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

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."

Authors: Nate Ostiller, The Kyiv Independent news desk

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