Russia and North Korea will develop an “alternative settlement system” to facilitate commercial cooperation outside the control of the West and fight its sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said hours before a visit to Russia’s far eastern neighbor.

Putin, who will make his first visit to North Korea in 24 years late on Tuesday for talks with leader Kim Jong Un, said in a commentary in North Korea’s state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper, that they would work together to bring more democracy and stability to international relations.

”We will develop alternative trade and mutual settlements mechanisms not controlled by the West, jointly oppose illegitimate unilateral restrictions and shape the architecture of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia,” he said.

Putin said Russia would ramp up exchanges and cooperation with North Korea in other areas such as education, tourism and culture.

“We are firmly convinced that we will put bilateral cooperation onto a higher level with our joint efforts,” he said.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov was cited by Russia’s TASS news agency as saying that Putin was expected to sign “important” documents with Kim on Wednesday that would  likely include a treaty on a comprehensive strategic partnership.

He said the deal would not be directed against any other country but would “outline prospects for further cooperation, and will be signed taking into account what has happened between our countries in recent years – in the field of international politics, in the field of economics … including, of course, taking into account security issues.”

Russia has been cozying up to North Korea since Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The United States has accused Russia of using North Korean weapons there, which North Korea and Russia deny.

Putin, in the newspaper commentary, extended his appreciation to North Korea for supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine and voiced his support for North Koreans’ struggle to defend their sovereignty against “the cunning, dangerous and aggressive enemy.”

“We highly appreciate that the DPRK is firmly supporting the special military operations of Russia being conducted in Ukraine, expressing solidarity with us on major international issues and maintaining the common line and stand at the U.N.,” Putin said.

DPRK, or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, is North Korea’s official name. 

Putin ‘desperate’, US says

In Washington, the White House said it was troubled by the deepening relationship between Russia and North Korea, and the U.S. State Department said it was “quite certain” Putin would be seeking arms to support his war in Ukraine.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller repeated charges on Monday that the North had supplied “dozens of ballistic missiles and over 11,000 containers of munitions to Russia” for use in Ukraine.

He said the U.S. had seen Putin “get incredibly desperate over the past few months” and look to Iran and North Korea to make up for equipment lost on the battlefield.

Japan was monitoring Putin’s visit to North Korea with concerns, including the possible transfer of weapons and related materials between Moscow and Pyongyang, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said.

“We will continue to work closely with the international community, including the United States and South Korea, to ensure the full implementation of the U.N. Security Council resolutions,” he said, noting that the security environment in the region had become more tense due to increased military cooperation between Russia and the North. 

Putin’s two-day trip comes as a reciprocal visit following Kim’s visit to Russia’s Far East in September last year where the two held a rare summit.

Putin last visited North Korea in July 2000, when he met its former leader Kim Jong Il, the late father of the current leader.

After North Korea, Putin will visit Vietnam on June 19-20, according to the Kremlin. 

Edited by RFA Staff.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Taejun Kang for RFA.

This post was originally published on Radio Free.