As the Russian president visits his EU ally Viktor Orban, prime minister of Hungary, we look at other leaders around the world who have embraced the divisive Vladimir Putin
North Korea
The Kremlin has been nurturing ties with Pyongyang for years as a way of thumbing its nose at the West, but the effort accelerated last year as the Ukraine crisis took hold.
In January, the Kremlin confirmed that Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s eccentric leader, will attend the annual Victory Day celebrations on Red Square on May 9 marking the Soviet triumph over the Nazis during the Second World War.
Syria
Russia is the main international backer of Bashir al-Assad’s Syria and Western politicians have accused Vladimr Putin of supplying his regime with arms .
Earlier this month, Mr Putin renewed his criticism of US airstrikes targeting Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Syria, saying they should not be carried out without Damascus’s permission.
Venezuela
Caracas is a major buyer of Russian weapons and has recognised breakaway pro-Russian territories such as Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia.
Moscow reciprocates by investing billions of dollars in Venezuelan oil projects.
Vladimir Putin once even gave Hugo Chavez a puppy.
Hungary
Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister, famously said last year that he wanted to abandon liberal democracy in favour of an “illiberal state”.
He has provoked street protests by cosying up to the authoritarian Mr Putin, despite the unease of Hungary’s EU partners.
Greece
After the Syriza party came to power in Greece in January, it quickly emerged that members had been in correspondence with Alexander Dugin, a Russian ultra-nationalist admired in some Kremlin circles who has called for a genocide of Ukrainians.
Alexis Tsipras, Greece’s new prime minister, has spoken against further sanctions on Russia over its backing for separatists in Ukraine, to Moscow’s delight.
France
Some observers suspected a Kremlin hand after it emerged in November that France’s right wing National Front party received a €9 million (£6.6m) loan from First Czech Russian Bank, which is owned by Roman Popov, a government-leaning oligarch.
Europe's far-Right
Russia has also cultivated ties with a number of Right-wing or “insurgent” parties across Europe, including Independent Greeks in Greece, Jobbik in Hungary, Vlaams Belang in Belgium, Northern League in Italy, Ataka in Bulgaria and NPD in Germany.
There are no proven links between UKIP and Russia but Nigel Farage, the party’s leader, said in March last year that Mr Putin was the world leader he most admired“as an operator, not as a human being”.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: 14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do