FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un smile during their meeting at the Pyongyang Sunan International Airport outside Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 19, 2024. Kim and Putin signed a major defense deal that observers worry could embolden Kim to direct more provocations at South Korea. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)