Hyderabad: The historic summit between Russia and North Korea began on Thursday morning. It is taking place in a university in Vladivostok. The world, especially the US and to a great extent China are watching the proceedings with great interest.
Both Russia and N Korea had been keen for some time to have a meeting between the two leaders.
On Thursday morning Vladimir Putin had arrived first at the venue of the summit so as to receive the N Korean strongman when he arrived a little later.
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The body language and facial expressions of both the leaders were one of a little uneasiness as can be expected from two people who are meeting for the first time. After the introductions were over, both the leaders sat side by side, but a little distance apart from each other to talk things out.
This summit is very important, yet it is not supposed to produce much. Russia is not signing any deal nor are both countries coming out with any joint statement. But both will have their takeaways.
For Kim, much is to be gained. North Korean economy is in a pretty bad shape thanks mainly to US sanctions. And there is no sign yet that the sanctions will be lifted any time soon. The first Trump Kim meeting showed great hopes but things did not move much. The second meet in Vietnam came a cropper. So things seem to be back to square one.
So Kim needs some other shopping centres. Two of NKorea's main backers are China and Russia. Though Kim has been to China before and is getting support, Russia is his new destination. He hopes to get some more economic support from Russia to what he is getting now.
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Kim has another thing on mind. He wants to drum up more support from Russia now that the US remains ever adamant over his nuclear policy. Of course Russia too is not very comfortable with NKorea's nuclear arsenal at the backyard, but it is not as paranoid about it as is the US. In any case the denuclearisation talks are on the table.
For Putin, getting Kim in Russia makes huge strategic and geopolitical sense. For quite sometime now Putin wants Russia's footprints all over the world. Middle east, North Africa, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, even in Venezuela Russia wants to expand its influence.
Traditionally Russia is friends with N Korea. Now Putin wants to take things further. He wants to show the world, especially the US that as far as NKorea is concerned Russia is no longer just an observer watching the goings-on from the sidelines. But is also a player in the troubled Korean peninsula.
So for both Putin and Kim, this summit brings about a win win situation.
