Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea has come to an end, with the Russian president leaving Pyongyang after a busy day of diplomacy.
His next stop is Vietnam.
The headline from Mr Putin’s visit is no doubt the agreement signed between the two countries that, its leaders say, covers security, trade, investment and cultural and humanitarian ties among other things.
The deal has triggered plenty of reaction from around the world, with Washington and Seoul among those expressing concern about the growing military ties between Russia and North Korea.
Below, we’ve taken a look at exactly how Mr Putin’s visit shaped up.
Opening remarks
The warm words between the Kremlin and Pyongyang started before Mr Putin’s plane had even touched down, with the Russian leader penning an open letter in North Korean state media.
It was here that we first got confirmation of an agreement that would be signed by the two countries. Mr Putin called it a partnership that would help in the “fight against the imperialist hegemonistic policies of the US and its satellites against the Russian Federation”.
There was also some appreciation shown for North Korea’s “firm support” for Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Putin claimed the US were doing everything they could to “prolong and inflame” the conflict, which Russia began in February 2022.
‘Rock star’ welcome in Pyongyang
When Mr Putin arrived in Pyongyang in the early hours of the morning, he was met personally by Kim Jong Un, a red carpet and a bouquet of roses.
State television then showed his motorcade driving through brightly lit neighbourhoods, with the 105-storey Ryugyong Hotel glowing with LED lights that said “Welcome Putin”.
The streets of the capital were lined with hundreds of thousands of people holding flowers and waving Russian and North Korean flags, welcoming Mr Putin back on to North Korean soil for the first time in 24 years.
There was then a lavish ceremony in Pyongyang’s main square, crowded with people and colourful decorations, where Mr Kim introduced key members of the North Korean leadership.
As a military band played, the two leaders walked down another red carpet and greeted dignitaries. Artillery guns fired a welcoming salvo.
As our Asia correspondent Nicole Johnston put it, North Korea gave Mr Putin “a rock star’s welcome”.
The ‘comprehensive strategic partnership pact’
Fundamental to this trip for both Russia and North Korea is the document signed by the two nations, which both of its leaders have been at pains to describe in bold terms.
Mr Kim calls it the “strongest ever treaty”, while for Mr Putin, it’s a “breakthrough document”.
The two leaders were first joined by ministers from both countries for initial talks. They then engaged in one-on-one talks that lasted two hours, according to reports.
This new agreement marks a new period of relations between the two countries, one that, according to North Korea’s leader, is “incomparable”.
It reportedly covers everything from investment to strengthening cultural ties and cooperating on health, medical education and science.
But it’s the inclusion of a mutual defence clause, in case of “aggression”, as Mr Putin put it, that stands out.
Mr Kim told reporters that North Korea will respond “without hesitation” to “incidents or wars” facing either his country or Russia.
He did not elaborate on what the response will entail, though he did say the agreement is “defensive and peaceful in nature”.
Russia also doesn’t rule out the “development” of military-technical cooperation between the two nations.
There’s already an assumption that North Korea is sending Russia ammunition to use in Ukraine, while there are fears that Moscow will pass on aid for Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes in return.
The signing of this agreement will do little to subdue those concerns.
Gifts and goodbyes
With business out the way, Mr Putin and Mr Kim spent the next few hours having a bit of fun.
There was the exchanging of gifts, with the Russian leader receiving works of art depicting himself.
For Mr Kim there was a tea set, an admiral’s dirk (a type of dagger) and a Russian-built limousine, which both leaders took turns at driving.
Mr Putin then laid a wreath at the Liberation monument in Pyongyang, which was erected in 1946 in memory of Red Army soldiers killed liberating the Korean Peninsula from Japanese occupation.
Keeping with that theme, both leaders took their seats at a gala concert, where songs performed all evoked war and defence of the nation.
Russian state media reported the concert included excerpts from wartime songs, including Where the Motherland Begins, We Need One Victory and Katyusha, as well as song by groups who regularly support Mr Putin at political rallies.
Putin’s opinion piece
As Mr Putin heads for Vietnam, a newspaper in the country has published an opinion piece he has written.
In the piece, he praised Vietnam for its “balanced” stance on the Ukraine war and applauded the communist-ruled country for supporting “a pragmatic way to solve” the conflict.
He also said Russia and Vietnam shared “similar assessments of the situation in the Asia-Pacific region”.
He is due to arrive in Hanoi overnight and plans to meet Vietnamese leaders tomorrow, on the heels of his trip to North Korea.
It will be his first trip to the country since 2017.
