Arms, grains, diplomacy: What North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin gain from each other

North Korea's Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia on Tuesday in a rare overseas visit. As per the Russian news agencies, the North Korean leader traveled in an armored train with dark green and grey cars and was accompanied by the top arms industry and military officials and the foreign minister of North Korea. The visit will be closely watched by US-led Western countries as Washington has recently warned North Korea against a possible arms deal for Moscow's war in Ukraine.

"It will be a full-fledged visit," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "There will be negotiations between two delegations, and after that, if necessary, the leaders will continue their communication in a one-on-one format."

As per the experts, the visit displays a new Cold War structure with North Korea, Russia, and China on one side against South Korea, Japan, and the United States. In case North Korea chooses to supply arms to Russia, the already heavy Western sanctions against the country can intensify.

Why North Korea is interested in Russia?

The experts claim that Russia has everything, the troubled North Korean economy demands. “Russia is a food export country, a fertilizer export country, an energy export country,” Cho Han-bum, senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification told news agency AFP.

Joseph Dempsey, a researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies said that North Korea can seek the transfer of key technologies, knowledge, and manufacturing capacity for North Korea's arms industry to advance and be more sustainable.

Moreover, proximity to Russia also means diplomatic gains for North Korea which is a message for China.

"Since the Cold War era, North Korea has always practiced the so-called 'pendulum diplomacy' between China and the Soviet Union, going back and forth to maximize its benefit," said Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewha University. "I can see some of that being practiced now."

What Russia wants from North Korea?

Apart from the much-needed validation, Russia is particularly interested in artillery shells that can be easily integrated. "North Korea likely represents the largest stockpiles of Soviet-era legacy artillery shells and artillery that could be used to restock depleted Russian inventories from the Ukraine conflict," Joseph Dempsey told AFP.

Furthermore, unlike other countries, North Korea has shown the will to stand up against the threats of Western sanctions. It is widely reported that in 2022, North Korea provided the Wagner Group with infantry rockets and missiles.