 and Kim Jong Un met on Thursday in this first face-to-face in four years They strolled side by side through the gleaming space centre - their aides behind them falling in step. Standing over a launchpad, they stared into the pit from where rockets blast into space. And over a banquet later that day, they drank red wine and toasted the embrace of their two pariah states. The optics of Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin's date in Russia's far east have been flashy to say the least. And it isn't over yet with the North Korean leader spending several days touring shipyards, aircraft factories and other military sites before he returns home. There had been great anticipation in the lead-up - with global media rapt as Kim trundled for hours in his armoured train over the border. He kept the West guessing for nearly 40 hours before reaching the Vostochny Cosmodrome - a space base in a far-flung eastern corner of Russia. Even then, it was unclear what exactly the pair would be meeting to talk about - with White House warnings last week that the North could sell arms to Russia sparking alarm. Putin had sent ahead a welcome party to greet Kim as his train rolled onto the space base's tracks. A red-carpeted, balustrade staircase was also erected mid-air, waiting for the train to pull in and for the North Korean leader to step out. Image caption, Kim - who rarely flies because of security concerns - travelled nearly 40 hours on his luxury train to meet Putin Putin was waiting in front of the centre when Kim drew up in his limousine. There, before flashing cameras, the two leaders shook hands - the pictures beamed out immediately by state media. Both leaders know the power of showmanship, but the Supreme Leader of North Korea, as Kim is known, is particularly a fan of ceremony. He is third in a dynasty of supreme leaders "who have generations of mythology constructed around them", says Sarah Son, a North Korea expert at the){kind=link}
They strolled side by side through the gleaming space centre – their aides behind them falling in step.
Standing over a launchpad, they stared into the pit from where rockets blast into space.
And over a banquet later that day, they drank red wine and toasted the embrace of their two pariah states.
The optics of Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin’s date in Russia’s far east have been flashy to say the least. And it isn’t over yet with the North Korean leader spending several days touring shipyards, aircraft factories and other military sites before he returns home.
There had been great anticipation in the lead-up – with global media rapt as Kim trundled for hours in his armoured train over the border.