Russia’s Vladimir Putin arrives for rare visit to North Korea

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un smile during their meeting at the Pyongyang Sunan International Airport (Gavriil Grigorov/AP)

President Vladimir Putin arrived in North Korea early on Wednesday, Russian news agencies say.

Mr Putin said the two countries want to co-operate closely to overcome US-led sanctions in the face of intensifying confrontations with Washington.