Putin arrives in Pyongyang for summit with Kim

Russian President Vladimir Putin is greeted by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a welcoming ceremony at an airport in Pyongyang on Wednesday. - Photo: KCNA

PYONGYANG: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday (June 19) in his first trip to North Korea in 24 years as he is set to hold a summit with leader Kim Jong-un in a show of their deepening relations.

Putin began his state visit to Pyongyang early Wednesday morning (Korea time), amid growing concerns that burgeoning bilateral defense cooperation would help prop up Russia's war operations in Ukraine and enhance North Korea's weapons programs to the detriment of regional and global peace.