Putin's reaching out to Kim Jong-un is a desperate move – and potentially a dangerous one

Reports that North Korea's dictator, Kim Jong-un, may visit Russia soon to meet Vladimir Putin - probably to discuss the supply of North Korean weapons for Putin's war in Ukraine - point to a rather remarkable transformation of Russian-North Korean relations. During the cold war, North Korea was Moscow's key ally in north-east Asia. But at that time, the North Koreans were, at best, poor supplicants to a mighty superpower. Today, Kim's hermit kingdom stands tall and proud as Russia's partner in crime. Putin's engagement with North Korea is as old as his presidency. But the relationship was generally more…