The Chinese and Russian delegations' visit to Pyongyang come as speculation mounts that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un -- who rarely leaves his country and has not travelled since the coronavirus pandemic started -- will meet Putin to discuss arms deals. Political analyst Andrei Lankov tells AFP that a Kim-Putin meeting is "likely to happen" as, for Moscow, "with a bit of diplomacy North Korea can be used as a tool to influence behaviour of the United States, South Korea," and other places over the Ukraine war. Moscow's moves to boost military ties with Pyongyang -- including possible naval drills -- are "gentle diplomatic blackmail" of Washington, he adds. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES