Putin is illustrating to the world his own demise.

The Putin-Trump bromance in Helsinki in 2018 has been replaced by the Putin-Kim Jon Un bromance in 2024.

 As reported by Emily Wright,

"Putin was welcomed to North Korea for the first time in almost 25 years, with the two leaders having given each other some bizarre gifts.
...
Putin gave Kim a luxury Aurus limousine, Russian state media reported, citing Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. The two were pictured in the car, with Putin in the driver's seat, but it is not known whether this was a newly-gifted car, said the BBC.
...
Putin was also said to have given Kim a tea set, described as “very beautiful” by Ushakov according to Russia’s Tass state news agency, and an admiral’s dirk - a type of dagger." (Express : 20 June 2024) (my emphasis)

So what does this all mean?

As reported by Hyonhee Shin, Josh Smith and Guy Faulconbridge,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in North Korea on Wednesday for his first visit in 24 years, vowing to deepen trade and security ties with the reclusive nuclear-armed state and to support it against the United States.
...
In a signal that Russia, a veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council, is reassessing its entire approach to North Korea, Putin praised Pyongyang ahead of his arrival for resisting what he said was U.S. economic pressure, blackmail and threats." (Reuters : 18 June 2024)9 my emphasis)

DW News : 20 June 2024 : YouTube

Having become an 'international political pariah' because of his unpovoked war with Ukraine, Putin is having to dig deep to find a 'comrade in arms', literally, to give him political and practical support in his war with Ukraine.

And Kim Jon Un fits the bill!

First Post : 19 June 2024 : YouTube

As was to be expected, western and far east countries watched this new 'bromance' between Putin and Kim Jon Un with interest.

Immediately off the blocks, as reported by the New Indian Express,

"South Korea’s presidential office on Thursday condemned an agreement reached by Russia and North Korea that vowed mutual defense assistance in the event of war and said it will reconsider its policy of limiting its support to Ukraine to non-lethal supplies.

The comments by a senior presidential official came hours after North Korea’s state media released the details of the agreement reached between its leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their summit on Wednesday in Pyongyang." (New Indian Express : 20 Ju n e 2024) (my emphasis)

To which Putin responded,

"Putin warned South Korea on Thursday it would be making “a very big mistake” if it decided to supply arms to Ukraine, claiming Seoul has “nothing to worry about” concerning the new strategic partnership signed by Russia and North Korea.
...
Putin said: “As for the supply of lethal weapons to the combat zone in Ukraine, this would be a very big mistake. I hope that this will not happen. If this happens, then we will also make appropriate decisions, which are unlikely to please the current leadership of South Korea.” (Katya Krebs, Sharon Braithwaite, Yoonjung Seo and Brad Lendon: CNN : 21 June 2024) (my emphasis)  

Further sticking in Putin's craw, Idrees Ali (left) reports that,

"Ukraine can use U.S.-supplied weapons to hit Russian forces that are firing on Ukrainian troops anywhere across the border into Russia and not just in Russian territory near Ukraine's Kharkiv region, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
...
"This is not about geography. It's about common sense," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told PBS. "If Russia is attacking or about to attack from its territory into Ukraine, it only makes sense to allow Ukraine to hit back against the forces that are hitting it from across the border." (Reuters: 20 June 2024) (my emphasis)

And to cap it all, Sakura Murakami reports that,

"Japan imposed trade restrictions on China-based companies as part of a fresh round of sanctions against individuals and groups supporting Russia's war on Ukraine, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.
The new sanctions also target firms in India, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. It marks the first time Japan has imposed sanctions on China-based firms in connection with the war in Ukraine, according to Japan's foreign ministry.

Targeted firms include Hong Kong-based Asia Pacific Links Ltd, which provided microchips for Russian drones, and China-based Yilufa Electronics Limited." (Reuters : 21 June 2024) (my emphasis)

Against the backdrop of Putin's new 'bromance' with Kim Jon Un, Gabriel Gavin and Barbara Moens report that,

"EU leaders will call for increased military aid to Kyiv to help thwart a wave of Russian attacks that have leveled power stations and plunged millions of Ukrainians into darkness, according to a draft statement seen by POLITICO.

The statement is being developed ahead of a European Council summit next week, where EU leaders will discuss Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and set priorities for the coming months." (Politico : 20 June 2024)  (my emphasis)

Added to which, as reported by Arpan Rai,Alexander Butler and Andy Gregory,

"Ukraine has launched a “mass” drone assault on Russian infrastructure and military targets in the Black Sea, Crimea and southern Russia, officials and Kyiv’s military said. (The Independent on MSN Start: 21 June 2024) (my emphasis)

As also reported by Alice Scarsi (left),

"Ukraine launched dozens of drones into the Russian territory in the early hours of June 21, reportedly striking an airfield.

The Russian Defence Ministry claimed on Friday to have intercepted 114 drones launched by Kyiv over Crimea, illegally occupied by Moscow since 2014, the Krasnodar region and Volgograd, both in western Russia.

Clips circulating on social media platform Telegram showed huge fires and smoke rising from various facilities, including an oil refinery in the Severski district." (Express : 21 June 2024) (my emphasis)

Putin's 'bromance' with Kim Jon Un is leading him into a dead end in his war with Ukraine.

By going 'cap in hand'  to Kim Jon Un, Putin is illustrating to the world his own  demise. 

UPDATE : 22 June 2024 : 08:47 am

As reported by Chris Samuel (right),

"Vladimir Putin has vowed Russia will go "to the end" in its war in Ukraine while offering a fresh nuclear warning towards the West.
...
The Kremlin leader, 71, also claimed Western nations were "lowering the threshold" for the use of nuclear devices against Russia, but provided no evidence to back up the accusation.

These supposed moves led him to conclude Russia must now consider updating its nuclear doctrine in nuclear escalation, he said, proclaiming ominously that the defeat of Moscow's forces in Ukraine would mean "the end of Russia's statehood". (Express : 21 June 2024) (my emphasis)

Putin's statements supports the contention that he is illustrating to the world his own demise by yet, once again, raising the spectre of a global nuclear war as he nervously watches the decimation of his forces by the army of Ukraine.

As I wote in my blog entry of 25/11/2022,

"And as now reported by Ciaran McGrath,

"Vladmir Putin is telling his military commanders Russia need to deploy five million troops in order to triumph in Ukraine. A document doing the rounds in military and political circles in Moscow entitled "Conclusions of the war with NATO in Ukraine" has highlighted the vast challenges now facing Russia." (Express : 25 November 2022) (my emphasis)

whilst his TV pundits continue to urge nuclear strikes against Ukraine.

Putin's dream of a "Novorossiya" is now turning into his nightmare of failure.

Everything that he throws at Ukraine is met by the fierce determination of the people of Ukraine to push his army back into Russia and regain ALL of Ukraine's territory now occupied by his Russian forces.

The constant 'fist-waving of the deployment of the nuclear option' against Ukraine by his TV pundits should not be too lightly dismissed."

 

 

 

(to be continued)