Kim Jong Un was seen loading an assault rifle gifted by Alexander Lukashenko as the two leaders signed a friendship treaty during a summit in Pyongyang on Thursday, underscoring deepening ties between the two Russia-aligned states.
The North Korean dictator gifted a sword and a large shell vase bearing the image of the Belarusian president. Mr Lukashenko joked that Mr Kim may need the rifle “in case enemies appear”. Mr Kim also hosted Mr Lukashenko at an ice-skating show and a formal reception.
Mr Lukashenko arrived for a two-day visit and signed a new treaty agreeing to co-operate more closely and resist pressure from the US-led West. He told Mr Kim: “A great future awaits your country with this hardworking, disciplined people.” He said cooperation is important as “the norms of international law are openly ignored and violated by powers that be”.
The cooperation signals a shift towards a more coordinated front among countries confronting Western sanctions. Both nations support Russia’s war in Ukraine, with Belarus facilitating the invasion and North Korea reinforcing it with troops and weapons.
Both countries are heavily sanctioned by the West for alleged human rights abuses, while Pyongyang faces UN sanctions for its nuclear weapons programme. South Korea’s Unification Ministry said the meeting aligns with Mr Kim’s foreign policy embracing a “multipolar world order” and an “anti-West alliance”.
