Cheering crowds and lavish ceremonies have greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang, where he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed an agreement upgrading their countries’ ties to a “comprehensive strategic partnership”.

Kim expressed “unconditional support” for “all of Russia’s policies”, including “a full support and firm alliance” for Putin’s war with Ukraine at a summit with the Russian leader who was making his first visit to the North in 24 years.

Putin’s visit is likely to reshape decades of Russia-North Korea relations at a time when both face international isolation and are being watched closely by Seoul and Washington, which have expressed concern about their growing military ties.

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The reaction from China, the North’s main political and economic benefactor and an increasingly important ally for Moscow has been muted.

An honour guard and a large crowd of civilians gathered at the Kim Il Sung Square by the Taedong River running through the capital for a grand welcome ceremony for Putin on Wednesday.

The scene included children holding balloons and giant portraits of the two leaders with national flags adorning the square’s main building.

Kim and Putin then rode to the Kumsusan Palace for summit talks.

“We highly appreciate your consistent and unwavering support for Russian policy, including in the Ukrainian direction,” Russian state news agency RIA quoted Putin as saying at the start of the talks.

Putin said Moscow was fighting the hegemonic, imperialist policy of the United States and its allies, Russian media reported.

Kim said North Korea-Russia relations were entering a period of “new high prosperity”.

Following a summit with top aides and then one-on-one talks that lasted two hours, Putin and Kim signed a comprehensive strategic partnership pact, Russian media reported.

Putin’s foreign policy aide has said the pact would be the basis for broader cooperation between the two countries.

Earlier, Kim said the increasingly complicated security environment called for a stronger strategic dialogue with Russia.

“And I want to reaffirm that we will unconditionally and unwaveringly support all of Russia’s policies,” Kim told Putin.

North Korea “expresses full support and solidarity to the Russian government, army and people in carrying out a special military operation in Ukraine to protect sovereignty, security interests, as well as territorial integrity”, he said.

Russia was hit with US-led Western sanctions after Putin launched a full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022.

Putin arrived at Pyongyang’s airport earlier on Wednesday. After Kim welcomed him with an embrace, the two shared “pent-up inmost thoughts” on the ride to the state guest house, North Korean state media said.

The countries’ partnership was an “engine for accelerating the building of a new multi-polar world” and Putin’s visit demonstrated the invincibility and durability of their friendship and unity, North Korea’s state news agency KCNA said.

Russia has used its warming ties with North Korea to needle Washington, while heavily sanctioned North Korea has won political backing and promises of economic support and trade from Moscow.

The United States and its allies say they fear Russia could provide aid for North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs, which are banned by UN Security Council resolutions, and have accused Pyongyang of providing ballistic missiles and artillery shells that Russia has used in its war in Ukraine.

Moscow and Pyongyang have denied weapons transfers.

After Putin’s arrival in Pyongyang was delayed by hours, he emerged from his plane at a pre-dawn hour and was greeted by Kim on the red carpet alone, without the grand ceremony the North put on for Chinese President Xi Jinping on his 2019 visit.

The pair then rode in Putin’s Russian-made Aurus limousine to the Kumsusan State Guest House.

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

In an article for North Korea’s ruling party newspaper, he promised to “develop alternative trade and mutual settlement mechanisms not controlled by the West” and “build an equal and indivisible security architecture in Eurasia”.