Putin waves at Kim Jong-un from his jet as he leaves for Vietnam
Vladimir Putin waved goodbye to his 'fiery friend' Kim Jong Un from the window of his presidential plane as he jetted off for Vietnam late last night, capping off a two-day state visit to North Korea that saw the leaders strengthen their nations' ties - not to mention a blossoming personal friendship. The pair inked a comprehensive partnership agreement yesterday that heralded a major upgrade in bilateral relations, covering security, trade, investment, cultural and humanitarian ties - not to mention a mutual defence pact that requires each country to provide immediate military assistance to the other in the event of war.
Such a deal is seen as a landmark moment for Russia-North Korea relations, bringing the two countries closer now than at any time since the Cold War. But the interactions between Putin and Kim as they toured Pyongyang suggested their own personal relationship was stronger still. Perhaps able to empathise and understand one another unlike anyone else, the two supremely powerful leaders displayed outright affection, sharing frequent bouts of laughter and tight embraces as they enjoyed the delights of the North Korean capital.
They also lavished one another with gifts - Putin received a pair of rare hunting dogs and several artworks depicting his likeness, before taking Kim for a spin in a luxury Russian limousine that he later offered to the North Korean leader along with a tea set and an admiral's sword. After exchanging presents in the grounds of the Kumsusan presidential guest house yesterday, the two despots attended a gala concert before chatting late into the evening over a glass of red wine.
With Putin's presidential plane waiting on the tarmac, the pair shared one final hug and bid one another a firm farewell, before the Russian President clambered aboard. Moments later he was seen waving at Kim from the window as the North Korean leader and his dignitaries saw him off. Putin will now be hoping his trip to Vietnam proves equally fruitful.
Putin was greeted by dignitaries upon his arrival in Hanoi today and enjoyed a smart reception, though it paled in comparison to the enormous parade orchestrated by Kim in Pyongyang two days earlier. There he will share talks with Vietnam's new President To Lam along with Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong - Vietnam's most powerful politician.
Like Kim, President Lam also pulled Putin in for a hug upon their meeting in the Vietnamese capital, and the pair appeared at ease. Russia, which is Vietnam's largest arms supplier and also provides vital oil exploration technologies, is keen to maintain 'close and effective cooperation' in energy, industry, technology, education, security and trade, said Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady S. Bezdetko said. Hanoi and Moscow have had diplomatic relations since 1950, and this year marks 30 years of a treaty establishing 'friendly relations' between Vietnam and Russia.
In an article written for Nhan Dan, the official newspaper of Vietnam's Communist Party, Putin vowed to deepen the ties between Moscow and Hanoi and hailed Vietnam as a 'strong supporter of a fair world order based on international law, on the principles of equality of all states and non-interference in their domestic affairs.' He also thanked 'Vietnamese friends for their balanced position on the Ukrainian crisis,' in the article released by the Kremlin. Vietnam has thus far remained neutral on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But neutrality is getting trickier, with the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi criticising Putin's visit, saying that 'no country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalise his atrocities.'
The new agreement between Russia and North Korea reached in Pyongyang yesterday has raised alarm in South Korea after it was revealed that the two countries had pledged to assist one another in the event of an armed conflict. South Korean officials said they were still interpreting the results and trying to work out what Russia's response might be Seoul and Pyongyang were to go to war, while analysts were mixed on whether the agreement obligates Russia to an automatic military invention - or whether the pact was carefully worded enough to avoid such a commitment.
The granular details of the strategic partnership between Russia and North Korea were not immediately clear, but both leaders described it as a major upgrade of their ties, including terms that spanned areas from security to medical education. Kim declared it the 'strongest ever treaty' between the two nations, raising the 'fiery friendship' between them at the level of an alliance, and vowed full support for Russia's war in Ukraine. Putin meanwhile said the deal 'really is a breakthrough document' that reflects a shared desire to move relations to a higher level, adding that it provided, 'among other things, for mutual assistance in case of aggression against one of the parties to this treaty'.
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