While Americans and Europeans have been worried for months about the rapid rapprochement between Moscow and Pyongyang, Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to travel to North Korea on Tuesday and Wednesday for an extraordinary visit that may conclude with the signing of a strategic partnership agreement between the two countries.
Putin's diplomatic advisor, Yuri Ushakov, described the visit as an important moment for both countries, which are under Western sanctions, expressing hope for the signing of a strategic partnership agreement, according to Russian media. He indicated that very significant documents will be signed, pointing out the potential for a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. He noted that this treaty, if signed, will certainly be conditioned by the deepening geopolitical situation in the world and in the region, as well as the qualitative changes that have recently occurred in their bilateral relations. Ushakov anticipated that a final decision regarding the signing would be made within hours.
Conversely, the White House expressed concerns over the increasingly close ties between Russia and North Korea. U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday, "We're not concerned about the visit" of Putin, adding, "What concerns us is the deepening relationships between these two countries." Kirby emphasized that the concern extends beyond North Korea's ballistic missiles still being used against Ukrainian targets but also includes potential exchanges that could affect the security of the Korean Peninsula.
Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are also expected to make statements to the press. The Russian president will attend a concert held in his honor. Accompanying Putin will be Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, two deputy prime ministers, and the head of the Russian space agency (Roscosmos).
Furthermore, on the 19th and 20th of this month, the Russian president will visit Vietnam, another partner from the Soviet era. This visit follows nine months after Putin hosted the North Korean leader in Far Eastern Russia, a meeting overshadowed by praise without officially establishing any agreements.
