According to the Kremlin, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged firearms Thursday during a high-profile summit in Russia's Far East.
Putin has pushed to develop ties with other hardline leaders shunned by the West, and he met with Kim amid rumors that the two would strike a weapons agreement.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin "gave (Kim) a rifle of the highest quality from their production." In exchange, he received a gun built in North Korea.
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Putin also offered Kim "a glove from a space suit that has been in space several times," according to Peskov, and Putin "gratefully" accepted North Korea's invitation to visit.
Kim's visit to Russia would take "a few more days," he said. On Tuesday, North Korea's leader landed in Russia.
The two leaders' strong ties come as Russia risks isolation from the West and several of its traditional allies over its full-scale offensive in Ukraine.
According to US officials and analysts, Russia is interested in purchasing North Korean weaponry for use in Ukraine, a move that the White House has warned will have consequences.
