North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a birthday greeting to Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, congratulating him for "crushing the challenges and threats of the United States", the latest sign of deepening ties between the two pariah states.
As Russia's isolation over its war in Ukraine has increased, it has seen increasing value in North Korea. For North Korea's part, relations with Russia haven't always been as warm as they were during the heady days of the Soviet Union, but now the country is reaping clear benefits from Moscow's need for friends.
