North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia on Wednesday, a day before talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders are expected to hold one-on-one talks on Thursday, before they meet with officials for broader discussions. Kim, on his first visit to Russia as North Korean leader, is meeting Putin for the first time.
Ahead of the summit, Kim had expressed "great love for Russia". He was quoted as saying by news agency AP, "I have heard a lot about your country and have long dreamt of visiting it. It's been seven years since I took the helm, and I've only just managed to visit." He added that he hopes the summit will strengthen ties between the two countries.
Explained | With US talks faltering, why North Korea has turned to Russia
Russian foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, meanwhile said the summit would focus on North Korea's nuclear programme, reported AP. He added that Russia will seek to "consolidate the positive trends" stemming from Trump's meetings with Kim.
The Russian president said that bilateral agreements on security guarantees won't be enough and that six-party talks will help provide international security guarantees to North Korea.
Putin told North Korea that it's too early to say how substantial these security guarantees will be, and says we need to make first steps to increase trust. He added that the US-Russian approaches on Korea coincide to some extent.
Russian President Putin said he was happy with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, adding that they had an open talk on sanctions, USA, denuclearisation. He said Kim also wants denuclearisation, but he needs security guarantees.
Kim Jong Un is in Russia, months after his failed summit with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam. The North Korean leader is trying to rake up support from the international community against US sanctions on North Korea. In Vietnam, talks failed after the US said it would not ease sanctions unless it sees significant denuclearization moves. Russia has already expressed support to the country for gradual disarmament. Read more here.
Kim Jong Un says the summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin will help assess the Korean peninsula issue, reports Reuters. On arriving in Russia, Kim had said Wednesday, "I have heard a lot about your country and have long dreamt of visiting it. It's been seven years since I took the helm, and I've only just managed to visit."
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Kim Jong Un that he is confident the summit will boost ties between Russia and North Korea, and will help reach a settlement over the Korean peninsula, reports news agency Reuters.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin walks with North Korea leader Kim Jong Un at the Far Eastern Federal University campus at Russky Island in the far eastern city of Vladivostok, Russia April 25, 2019. (Reuters Photo: Shamil Zhumatov)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has just arrived in Vladivostok, where the summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be held. Kim had arrived in the country on Wednesday and was received by top Russian officials. The two leaders are expected to hold one-on-one talks, before broader discussions with officials. Stay tuned as we bring you the latest news on the Russian summit!