Putin seals strategic defense pact in amusing North Korea visit
Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea has concluded. Although the Russian dictator continued his tour of Asia on Thursday and visited Vietnam, echoes of his meeting with Kim Jong Un are still resonating. Observers particularly remember the farewell scene at the airport.
7:48 AM EDT, June 20, 2024
Putin visited North Korea, marking his first visit since 2000. At Kim Jong Un's invitation, the Russian president embarked on the journey from Moscow to Pyongyang. The plane landed in the capital of the totalitarian state on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin signed a treaty on a comprehensive strategic partnership with the North Korean leader, including a mutual defense clause. Under this treaty, both sides are to support each other in the event of external aggression.
According to experts, in exchange for military support, North Korea receives Russian technologies essential for the development of its missile and nuclear programs, which violates UN sanctions imposed on Pyongyang.
A tender farewell
In addition to the official part of the meeting, the cameras captured a few bizarre situations, which will certainly bring smiles to observers' faces for a long time.
When Vladimir Putin was about to leave North Korea and continue his journey to Vietnam, he was honored at Pyongyang's airport. The prolonged farewell transitioned from ceremonial to amusing.
Kim Jong Un and his delegation stood on the airport tarmac for a long time, waving to Putin as he boarded the plane. The Russian president reciprocated, looking out of the airplane window and enthusiastically waving at the Korean dictator.
Anton Herashchenko posted the farewell video on platform X. "Putin and Kim Jong Un couldn't stop waving to each other as Putin was leaving for Vietnam," the former Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs commented.
