It is crunching between North Korea and the US and the talks resumed only last year. Now, the North Korean leader Kim meets with Kremlin chief Putin for the first time.
The Kremlin has confirmed a meeting of President Vladimir Putin with the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Russia. This was announced by Presidential Adviser Yuri Ushakov, the Russian agency Interfax reported.
According to this, the two politicians want to meet this Thursday in the eastern Russian port city of Vladivostok near the border with North Korea. At the invitation of Putin, Kim travels to the neighboring country.
On historical paths on the way
Kim is expected to arrive at a Russian border station this Wednesday in an armored train at around 10:00 am (local time, 2:00 am CET), Interfax previously said, citing unnamed sources. At the station called Hassan Kim will stop for a short while and visit a house where his father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung have been traveling for a short while.
So far, Russia and North Korea had confirmed preparations for a meeting, but provided information neither to the place nor at the time of the meeting. A Kremlin spokesman justified this repeatedly with security concerns.
While Kim meets with Putin, tensions between North Korea and the US government are continuing. The leadership in Pyongyang vented its displeasure in the past week – partly because of the relentless position of the US government in the sanctions imposed on North Korea. She also does not want to negotiate with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over her controversial nuclear program. Pompeo rejected this request.
Moscow relies on easing in the nuclear dispute
Moscow is in favor of easing the sanctions in exchange for Pyongyang’s support of the controversial nuclear program. According to Russian media reports, tens of thousands of North Korean guest workers have to leave the country. Russia and North Korea have a short common border.
Russia had already invited Kim in May of last year. At that time, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov presented the invitation in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. Since then, time and again the timing of a meeting has been speculated.
