Dangerous bromance: Vladimir Putin's pact with Kim Jong Un

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  The Economist Hi there, it's Jason Palmer here,

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  co-host of The Intelligence, our daily news and current affairs podcast.

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  This is Editor's Picks.

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  You're about to hear an article from the latest edition of The Economist read aloud.

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  Enjoy.

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  Kim Jong Un has a new best friend.

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  Out is Donald Trump,

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  who exchanged saccharine letters but spurned him at a summit in Hanoi in 2019.

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  In is Vladimir Putin, who has courted Mr Kim for weapons to fuel his war in Ukraine.

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  Mr Kim has made two trips to Russia's Far East to meet Mr Putin since 2019.

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  On June 19th, Mr Putin arrived in Pyongyang for his first visit since 2000,

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  the year he made his debut as president.

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  Though he landed at close to 3am local time,

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  Mr Kim was waiting on a red carpet on the tarmac to meet him.

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  The two leaders later signed a strategic partnership agreement,

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  promising to come to each other's aid when facing aggression.

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  The relationship has blossomed thanks to geopolitical shifts.

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  Mr Kim turned away from talks with America following the failed summit in Hanoi and began making fresh overtures to Russia.

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  The response was lukewarm until Mr Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine floundered and Russia came to need munitions,

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  one of the few things Mr Kim's regime has in abundance.

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