Huge welcome for Putin as crowds line streets throughout Pyongyang

We saw footage of a huge welcome as Putin's motorcade drove through Pyongyang.

An AFP feed showed hundreds of thousands of people lining the streets and waving from buildings.

Some were seen holding flowers and waving Russian and North Korean flags.

Many people were holding umbrellas and wearing hats, while crowds of people were also seen taking shelter from the heat under the trees.

It's hard to say how many of these people were there by choice. North Korea runs a brutal, totalitarian regime where anything short of overt support could have harsh consequences.

Putin visited China a month ago, when he declared that he and China's Xi Jinping were "as close as brothers".

In response to a question about Putin's Pyongyang visit, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday that Beijing "welcomes Russia to cement and grow ties with countries they have traditional friendship with".