Blossoming bromance or courtship of convenience? Putin to meet with Kim in North Korea

Expect lots of pageantry and big promises when the Russian President arrives in Pyongyang for his State visit to North Korea.

It is impossible to tell whether the blossoming bromance between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un will last beyond the war in Ukraine or is just a courtship of convenience.

Whatever it is, or turns out to be, for the time being, their second meeting in nine months, and Putin's first to North Korea since 2000, will provide the opportunity for both men to needle the West by showing they are prepared to deepen ties - most concerningly military cooperation.

Since they met on the Russian border last September, it's claimed Kim has sent millions of munitions and dozens of ballistic missiles to boost Moscow's war effort in Ukraine.

The Ukrainians say North Korean weapons have been responsible for the deaths of dozens of their citizens. Although, there is also evidence of North Korean missiles misfiring, suggesting some of the supplies being received from Kim may not be of a great standard.

They have, however, allowed Moscow to keep up the intensity of its attacks on Ukraine, while it ramps up its own production and rebuilds it stockpile.

Both Moscow and Pyongyang deny they have been involved in any weapons transfer - such dealings would violate UN sanctions. But satellite imagery appears to confirm that thousands of containers have been sent from North Korea to Russia.

Earlier this year in a flagrant disregard for United Nations (UN) sanctions banning the supply of luxury goods to North Korea, Putin made a show of sending Kim a Russian made limousine. The North Korean leader had praised Putin's car during their September get together.

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While he has Putin in Pyongyang, Kim will be making a renewed effort to get more out of the relationship.

While securing deals on food and fuel supplies, to reduce his sole reliance on China, are important, his bigger priority is the advancement of his weapons programme.

He is looking to get a concrete commitment from Russia to share technology that might help him advance his nuclear, space and submarine projects.

That's where the concern from the West comes in. Could this partnership not only help Russia maintain its war in Ukraine but trigger greater North Korean aggression towards South Korea, disrupting peace and stability in Asia.

Watching all of this closely and keeping a check on the depth and dealings of this partnership, is China.

Maintaining relations with Beijing is of prime importance to both Putin and Kim. It's understood the Russian president did not go straight to Pyongyang following his visit to Beijing last month, after concerns about the optics were raised by the Chinese Communist Party.

While all three nations are united in their desire for a re-set of global order, ending US hegemony, it is Xi Jinping that holds most power.

It is China that still has a seat at the global table and the last thing President Xi wants is an emboldened Kim stirring things up in his own backyard.

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