Editor’s note: The following article is an opinion piece by Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification. Views expressed in opinion articles are exclusively the author’s own and do not represent those of NK News.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s state visit to North Korea this week will be a critical event to gauge the two allies’ strategic alignment.

Both sides stand to gain from greater cooperation: Putin wants weapons for his invasion of Ukraine and a partner aligned against the U.S.-led Western bloc. Kim Jong Un seeks a market for arms exports and an