'Strategic Fortress': Russia & North Korea Vow To Deepen Ties As Putin Visits Pyongyang

Korean state media said the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un demonstrated the 'invincibility and durability' of friendship and unity between North Korea and Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed to develop their countries’ ties as the former arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday for his first visit to the nation in 24 years. A Reuters report quoted North Korea's state news agency KCNA as saying that the country's relations with Russia have emerged as a "strategic fortress".

As Putin touched down in Pyongyang, he was greeted by Kim. The two then rode in a limousine and were seen walking together into Putin's hotel, Reuters reported, quoting Russian state media.

Putin has vowed to deepen trade and security ties with the reclusive nuclear-armed state and to support it against the United States, which has led international condemnation and censure of North Korea over its weapons programme. 

Reuters reported KCNA as saying that the meeting between the two leaders demonstrated the "invincibility and durability" of friendship and unity between North Korea and Russia. The agency said the relations between the countries have "emerged as a strong strategic fortress for preserving international justice, peace and security and an engine for accelerating the building of a new multi-polar world".

On the eve of his visit, Reuters reported, Putin issued a presidential order stating that Moscow was looking to sign a "comprehensive strategic partnership treaty" with North Korea. His foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying this would include security cooperation.

Reuters noted in its report that the US and its Asian allies are trying to work out just how far Russia will go to support the North Korean leader, whose country is the only one to have conducted nuclear weapon tests in the 21st century.

Ahead of his trip, Putin had praised Pyongyang "for firmly supporting" its war with Ukraine". In an article he wrote for Korean state media, he said his visit is aimed at boosting ties between the nuclear-armed allies, adding that he “highly appreciated that the DPRK (North Korea) is firmly supporting” the special military operations that are being conducted in Ukraine. 

Putin praised "Comrade" Kim, and promised to "jointly resist illegitimate unilateral restrictions", to develop trade and strengthen security across Eurasia.

"Washington, refusing to implement previously reached agreements, continuously puts forward new, increasingly stringent and obviously unacceptable demands," Putin said in the article.