North Korean leader promised full support for Russia’s war in Ukraine before beginning a one-on-one meeting with Russian President in Pyongyang, in a bid to expand their economic and military cooperation and show a united front against Washington, writes AP.

Speaking before the summit, Vladimir Putin thanked Kim Jong Un for support in Ukraine and said the two countries would sign an agreement to boost their partnership as both “fight against the imperialist hegemonistic policies of the U.S. and its satellites against the Russian Federation”.

Putin’s visit comes amid growing concerns about an arms arrangement in which North Korea provides Russia with badly needed munitions to fuel Moscow’s war in Ukraine, in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that could enhance the threat posed by Kim’s nuclear weapons and missile program.