Vladimir Putin arrives in North Korea for alliance talks with Kim Jong-un and vows to stand against ‘blackmailing’ US

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in North Korea for his first visit in 24 years, vowing to deepen trade and security ties with the reclusive nuclear-armed state and to support it against the United States.

Russian state media said Putin’s plane touched down in Pyongyang about 2.45am after a stopover in Russia’s far east.

The US and its Asian allies are trying to work out just how far Russia will go in support of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, whose country is the only one to have conducted nuclear weapon tests in the 21st century.

In a signal that Russia, a veto-wielding member of the United Nations Security Council, is reassessing its entire approach to North Korea, Putin praised the country ahead of his arrival for resisting what he said was US economic pressure, blackmail and threats.

In an article published by North Korean state media, Putin praised “Comrade” Kim and promised to “jointly resist illegitimate unilateral restrictions” to develop trade and strengthen security across Eurasia.

“Washington, refusing to implement previously reached agreements, continuously puts forward new, increasingly stringent and obviously unacceptable demands,” Putin said in the article, printed on the front page of North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun, the ruling Workers’ Party mouthpiece.

“Russia has always supported and will continue to support the DPRK and the heroic Korean people in their opposition to the insidious, dangerous and aggressive enemy.”

Putin issued a presidential order on the eve of the visit saying Russia was looking to sign a “comprehensive strategic partnership treaty” with North Korea.

His foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said it would include security issues.

Ushakov said the deal would not be directed against any other country but would “outline prospects for further co-operation”.

Putin noted the Soviet Union was the first to recognise the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea founded by Kim’s grandfather, Kim Il-sung, less than two years before the 1950 Korean War.

North Korean state media also published articles praising Russia and supporting its military operations in Ukraine, calling them a “sacred war of all Russian citizens”.

Putin’s state visit comes amid US accusations that North Korea has supplied “dozens of ballistic missiles and over 11,000 containers of munitions to Russia” for use in Ukraine.

South Korea, a staunch US ally, has raised similar concerns.

The White House said on Monday it was troubled by the deepening relationship between Russia and North Korea.

The US State Department said it was “quite certain” Putin would be seeking arms to support his war in Ukraine.

Russia and North Korea have denied arms transfers but have vowed to boost military ties, possibly including joint drills.