Primorye: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia on Wednesday to meet the Russian President Vladimir Putin for a summit.
Kim's main purpose is to seek support from Russia after having second meeting with the US president Donald Trump in Vietnam which failed to resolve the decades old problems. In the previous meeting Donald Trump had asked for denuclearisation and Kim asked to lift sanctions.
The meeting with Trump, however, didn't seem to be fruitful primarily because both the countries were not ready to make concessions. Kim is now keen on improving North Korea's good relations with Russia. Kim may seek assistance from Russia in order to ease the country's economic plight following US sanctions.
As for Putin this meeting will allow Moscow to become an important player in the Korean peninsula and will help it get more leverage with Washington. In the meeting Russia is expected to discuss ways to bolster trade ties. Denuclearisation will also be on the table though Russia does not believe total denuclearisation is possible. Kim wants to gain some strategic strength from improved relations with Russia.
Kim Jong Un arrived in Vladivostok in an armoured train that covered about 600 km. The meeting is historic because Kim is meeting Putin for the first time, is likely take place in Vladivostok’s Far Eastern Federal University on Thursday.
Read more: N Korea's Kim heads to Russia to revive old friendship
