Pariah Kim Jong Un has little to lose in his meeting with Putin – but a lot to gain

A rare summit between reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia’s Vladimir Putin underlines a growing pariah alliance that could impact global security. Moscow, locked in a bloody war of attrition with Ukraine and squeezed by an unprecedented array of Western sanctions, is desperate to secure large quantities of munitions, including artillery shells and bullets, to fire at Ukrainian lines. Such an arsenal of weaponry is one of the few things Pyongyang can provide. In return, the isolated state, also heavily sanctioned and intent on developing ever-more technologically advanced missiles, will be seeking promises of support to feed…