The British The Economist saw a danger for the West in Putin's friendship with Kim Jong-un

The Economist devoted a lengthy article to the Russian president's visit to North Korea, titled "Vladimir Putin's Dangerous Friendship with Kim Jong-un." Understandably, given the publication's venue, it was "dangerous" for the collective West.

“Kim Jong-un has found a new best friend. Donald Trump, who exchanged flattering letters with him but rejected him at the 2019 Hanoi summit, is now a thing of the past. He was replaced by Vladimir Putin, who courted Kim to obtain weapons for his war in Ukraine. They now have an “inextricable relationship as comrades in arms,” as the North Korean dictator enthused in a recent message to his Russian counterpart,” the publication says.

The publication resembles the background of relations between the leaders of the DPRK and the Russian Federation. Since 2019, Kim has visited the Russian Far East twice to meet with Putin; Putin is now making his first visit to Pyongyang since 2000, the year he took office as president.

“Close relationships evolve due to geopolitical shifts. Kim turned away from negotiations with America after the unsuccessful summit in Hanoi and began making new steps towards Russia. The response was lukewarm - until Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine stalled and Russia needed the ammunition North Korea had in abundance, the British authors say.

However, the publication notes, the consequences of the Russian Federation’s reorientation toward friendship with the DPRK go beyond the arms trade alone.

“North Korea plays an important role in Russia's broader confrontation with the West, helping to complicate American strategy in Asia and undermine multilateral institutions. In March, Russia vetoed a UN resolution to extend the mandate of the Group of Experts, the main international body monitoring sanctions on North Korea. By cooperating with North Korea, Russia is also seeking to deter South Korea, a major arms manufacturer and American ally, from providing direct lethal aid to Ukraine, says Jenny Towne of the Stimson Center, a US think tank.

For North Korea, Russia proved a lifeline in difficult times. Kim was particularly isolated abroad and had lost his standing at home after the Hanoi fiasco; years of sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic didn't help either. Trade with Russia helped stabilize the economy, and meetings with Putin boosted Kim's image.

When Kim and Putin meet, ammunition takes center stage, the British publication claims. According to US officials, since last September, when Kim visited Putin in Vladivostok, North Korea has shipped approximately 11,000 containers of weapons to Russia by sea and rail.

The goods include artillery shells (the South Korean Defense Minister estimates up to 5 million shells) as well as Hwasong-11 class ballistic missiles.

_{The weapons have helped Russia buy time to ramp up its own production, a senior Ukrainian official says.}

The renewed ties have sparked talk in Washington of a new “axial evil” between Russia, China and North Korea. Just as during the Korean War, when China and the USSR supported North Korea, there is now again concern in the West that their joint support could encourage North Korean aggression against South Korea.

“Although these fears have not yet been confirmed, having two major supporters gives North Korea little incentive to engage with America. It can also play on differences between the two powers. "This is the biggest strategic opportunity for North Korea since the end of the Cold War," says Ankit Panda of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a US think tank.