Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un have a lot in common.
Neither of them travel much. The leader of the Kremlin did not leave Russia this year. In Kim's case, it takes four years.
Both Russia and North Korea have been accused of becoming "rogue states".
Both are under heavy international sanctions, primarily by Western countries.
Both governments oppose the "hegemony" of the United States.
Often a common enemy can bring leaders together.
It's the same with Putin and Kim.
Their marriage was concluded, if not in heaven, then certainly in the geopolitical realities of 2023.
Bromansa? Not really.
Unlike former US President Donald Trump, who once declared that he and Kim Jong Un "fell in love", the leaders of Russia and North Korea show less public affection.
But both Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un see the potential benefit of a closer relationship.
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presented the Russian defense minister with Pyongyang's powerful weapons
- Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia, Putin says that Moscow is developing new weapons
- What missiles does North Korea have?
They can gain a lot
So what does the Kremlin get out of it?
For starters, North Korea has a huge defense industry with large-scale production capacity.
As Russia's war in Ukraine continues, Pyongyang could prove to be an invaluable source of ammunition for Moscow.
Washington suspects that the Kremlin is already well on its way to getting it.
The United States claims that Russia-North Korea arms talks are "actively progressing", with Russia reportedly seeking supplies of ammunition and artillery shells.
There is no confirmation of this from Russian officials.
But there are not-so-subtle hints that Russia and North Korea intend to step up military cooperation.
Back in July, Sergei Shoigu became the first Russian defense minister to visit North Korea since the collapse of the Soviet Union, when he attended events marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean armistice.
Kim Jong Un played tour guide while showing Shoigu a weapons display.
The Russian Minister of Defense indicated that joint military exercises are planned.
"If they are looking for weapons in North Korea, one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world - an isolated country - that, in my opinion, is the biggest humiliation of the propaganda of the Russian 'great power'," believes former Russian foreign minister Andrey Kozyriev.
Koziriev spoke to me in a video call from the United States, where he currently lives.
"A great power would not go to North Korea to make an alliance or get military supplies."
Keith and Kim
But a force intent on overturning the world order could.
By invading Ukraine, Vladimir Putin signaled his determination to remake the global order to Russia's liking.
Military cooperation with North Korea may be another sign of this.
An arms deal between Moscow and Pyongyang would represent a major change.
Until recently, Russia fully supported UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons program.
Among other things, those sanctions prohibit arms trade with North Korea.
"Moscow signed those Security Council resolutions," the Russian tabloid Moscow Komsomolets reminded readers last week.
But he added: “Never mind. The signature can be withdrawn."
The newspaper quotes the president of the Russian Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, Fyodor Lukyanov.
"The question has been raised for a long time: why do we [Russia] adhere to these sanctions? The entire system of international relations is in a state of total pandemonium.
"Of course, UN sanctions are legitimate. It's hard to deny that. We voted for them. But the situation has changed. Why not cancel our vote?".
That would be music to Kim Jong Un's ears.
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Forever together?
What else does North Korea hope to get from Russia?
Almost certainly, humanitarian aid to alleviate food shortages in North Korea.
There is also speculation that Pyongyang has sought advanced Russian technology for satellites and military use, including nuclear-powered submarines.
More than a year and a half into a war that has gone wrong for Russia, Moscow may need to replenish its ammunition stockpile.
It is possible that he sees the deal with Pyongyang as a way to achieve this.
But this does not mean that, without the help of North Korea, the Russian war machine will stop.
"Putin is not desperate," believes former Foreign Minister Andrey Koziriev.
“It can last a very long time and it can adapt. Every day he learns how to circumvent sanctions, how to cooperate with China, North Korea and some regimes in Africa.
"It is not an alternative for the future. But it is an alternative for the present time. and perhaps for years to come."
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