Putin receives lavish welcome in North Korea

Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un are sharing their “innermost thoughts” at a summit in North Korea, at which they have resolved to build “a new multi-polar world” and to unite against the US-led international order. READ MORE: North Korea “fully supports” Russia’s war in Ukraine, Kim told Putin, who in turn thanked his host for his “consistent and unwavering support” after a warm greeting on the red carpet laid out for Putin’s arrival. It is the Russian leader’s first visit to North Korea for 24 years. The pair will spend the day together in ceremonial events and face-to-face discussions in the course of which they are expected to sign a “comprehensive strategic partnership treaty”. It will formalise a friendship that has already resulted in North Korean munitions being fired by Russian troops on the battlefields of Ukraine. Read the best of our journalism: h