MOSCOW, June 18. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin views North Korea as a steadfast ally in the fight against Western hegemony.

"Pyongyang has always been our committed and like-minded supporter, ready to confront the ambition of the collective West to prevent the emergence of a multipolar world order based on justice, mutual respect for sovereignty and consideration of each other’s interests," Putin wrote in an article for North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper ahead of his state visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The United States "is going out of its way to impose" a rules-based order globally, "which is essentially nothing more than a global neo-colonial dictatorship relying on double standards," the Russian leader emphasized. "Nations that disagree with such an approach and pursue an independent policy face increasing external pressure. The US leadership views such a natural and legitimate aspiration for self-reliance and independence as a threat to its global dominance," Putin added.

The Russian head of state is on a friendly state visit to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, on June 18-19. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un invited Putin to pay a return visit during his stay in Russia last September. The Russian president accepted the invitation without hesitation, and the stars aligned to make a visit at the current time possible.