North Korean leader Kim Jong Un welcomed Vladimir Putin at Pyongyang International Airport in the early hours of the morning Wednesday, as the Russian leader belatedly arrived on a state visit expected to bolster military cooperation over the war in Ukraine.

Kim greeted Putin as he disembarked, and after hugging and talking on the airport’s apron, the pair entered a limousine with non-DPRK plates, driving with a large motorcade of police motorcyclists, photos released by the Kremlin show.