Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in North Korea early on June 19 at the start of a visit set to boost defense ties between the two countries as Moscow pursues its war in Ukraine.
Putin was met at Pyongyang's airport by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Russian news agencies reported.
Russian TV showed Kim greeting Putin on a red carpet after his plane touched down before dawn. The pair shook hands and embraced before Putin set out in a motorcade.
Before arriving, Putin said that he appreciated North Korea’s firm support of his military actions in Ukraine, according to an op-ed piece that appeared in North Korean state media on June 18.
He also said Russia and North Korea had cooperated closely to overcome U.S.-led sanctions. The two countries will continue to "resolutely oppose" what he described as Western ambitions "to hinder the establishment of a multipolar world order based on justice, mutual respect for sovereignty, considering each other's interests."
The United States and its allies have accused North Korea of supplying Russia with arms, including ballistic missiles to use in Ukraine, in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
Putin said in his op-ed that Russia and North Korea will develop trade and payment systems "that are not controlled by the West" and jointly opposed sanctions.
North Korea is under heavy UN Security Council economic sanctions over its nuclear weapons and missile programs, while Russia is also grappling with U.S. and EU sanctions imposed over its war in Ukraine.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a joint press briefing with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on June 18 that Russia's war in Ukraine was being propped up by North Korea, China, and Iran.
SEE ALSO: China, Iran, North Korea 'Countries Of Concern' For Russia Support, Blinken SaysNATO countries are also "concerned about the potential support that Russia provides to North Korea when it comes to supporting their missile and nuclear programs," Stoltenberg said.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the deepening relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang was concerning not only "because we know North Korean ballistic missiles are still being used to hit Ukrainian targets, but because there could be some reciprocity here that could affect security on the Korean Peninsula."
While this has not yet "come to fruition," Kirby said, Washington is "certainly going to be watching that very, very closely."
Putin is being accompanied by several top officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Denis Mantrurov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, according to his foreign policy adviser, Yury Ushakov.
Ushakov said a number of documents will be signed during the visit, possibly including an agreement on a comprehensive strategic partnership.
Putin will travel on to Vietnam for talks that are expected to be focused on trade.
The United States, which has spent years strengthening ties and accelerating trade with Vietnam, criticized Putin’s planned visit.
"As Russia continues to seek international support to sustain its illegal and brutal war against Ukraine, we reiterate that no country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalize his atrocities," a U.S. Embassy spokesperson in Vietnam said in a statement.