Ukraine war latest: Putin and Kim sign new defence deal – as UK says ‘bizarre scenes’ should be warning | World News

By Ivor Bennett, Moscow correspondentThere are two schools of thoughts regarding why Vladimir Putin is in North Korea. One is that Russia doesn’t really have any other options right now. Its ongoing invasion of Ukraine has left it isolated from the West, and forced to pivot east. The visit to Pyongyang, and the world’s most isolated state, is a reflection of Moscow’s desperation, some say.The opposing view is that Russia does have a lot of options right now. They’re talking to Cuba, China, even the Taliban. So others believe this is a calculated move to show what’s possible when the West, in Russia’s eyes, oversteps the mark.”Putin is angry,” according to Chris Monday, an associate professor at Busan’s Dongseo University, in reference to NATO allies, including the UK, giving Ukraine permission to use their weapons to strike inside Russia.”He feels, from his perspective, that the West has crossed many red lines and he wants to put his foot down.”Either way, whether Russia’s leader is going cap-in-hand or shaking his fist, the West will be alarmed at what these closer ties could mean.There’s an assumption in Washington that North Korea is already sending Russia ammunition to use in Ukraine, and there’s a concern, articulated by US secretary of state Antony Blinken, that trade will increase.Beyond that, there’s also a fear about what North Korea will get in return – could Moscow pass on aid for Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes?Both sides deny this, but one could argue the agreement they signed today sends the opposite signal.The “comprehensive strategic partnership pact” includes a mutual defence clause, in case of “aggression”, as Mr Putin put it, against either party. He also said Russia doesn’t rule out the “development” of military-technical cooperation between the two. Ominous words for the West, and South Korea especially.”People are very concerned here,” said Mr Monday.”There’s more and more talk, for example, of developing a South Korean nuclear weapon.”A year ago it seemed an impossibility, but now this is something people talk about.”This isn’t how the visit is being talked about on Russian state media, of course. The main talking point has been Mr Putin’s warm reception.”Putin has never been met like this before,” gushed one tabloid headline.”For the sake of meeting Vladimir Vladimirovich, they gathered almost half of the capital,” the article continued.It certainly looked like that – crowds of apparently jubilant North Koreans, waving Russian flags in front of a giant portrait of their guest.If the US president is seen as the leader of the free world, it feels like Vladimir Putin is being heralded here as the leader of the sanctioned world.Watch: Mr Kim’s ceremonial welcome for Mr Putin…