On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin touched down in Pyongyang for the first time in 24 years. The Russian leader is scheduled to meet with his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un this week to discuss further cooperation between the two countries. Kim recently visited Moscow, where the pair conducted similar talks.

While the move has concerned some, others have pointed out that it highlights the ever-shrinking list of allies both pariah nations have. North Korea has long been supportive of its neighbor's invasion of Ukraine, with Putin describing him and Kim as "comrades in arms" against attempts by the west to further alienate them from the rest of the world.
 

"Today, as before, Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are actively advancing their multifaceted partnership," Putin wrote in the Workers' Party paper, the Rodong Sinmun. "We highly appreciate the DPRK's unwavering support for Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, their solidarity with us on key international matters and willingness to defend our common priorities and views within the United Nations. Pyongyang has always been our committed and like-minded supporter, ready to confront the ambition of the collective West to prevent the emergence of a multipolar world order based on justice, mutual respect for sovereignty and consideration of each other’s interests."

Putin expressed a desire to see an increase in "academic mobility" between Russia and North Korea, as well as "mutual tourist trips ... cultural, educational, youth, and sports exchanges." He also called for the formation of "alternative trade and mutual settlements mechanisms not controlled by the West."

As the Guardian reports, in a statement following news of the trip, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said it showed Putin was "dependent" on his fellow authoritarians. "Their closest friends and the biggest supporters of the Russian war effort," he noted, are "North Korea, Iran, and China."