North Korean state media on April 26 afforded prominent and positive coverage to Kim Jong Un’s meeting, summit, and banquet with Putin the previous day, suggesting that the summit was overall satisfactory for Pyongyang.

Moreover, in a highly unusual move, state media cited Kim’s direct criticism of the U.S. during his meeting with Putin. This appears to have been intended to show off its solidarity with Russia to the international community, particularly the U.S., regarding the nuclear issue.

Also notable was the absence of North Korea’s top foreign policymaker Ri Su