SEOUL – North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in the far eastern region of Russia for his first ever meeting with Vladimir Putin which Kim says is
SEOUL – North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in the far eastern region of Russia for his first ever meeting with Vladimir Putin, which Kim says is the initial step toward closer ties with Moscow.
Wearing a black fedora hat and matching dark overcoat, the smiling Kim was greeted by Russian officials and a military band Wednesday in the port city of Vladivostok.
The North Korean leader made the short trip to Vladivostok via his signature armored green and yellow train.
During an earlier stop in the border city of Khasan, Kim said this will not be the last trip to Russia, adding it is the first step toward improved Russia-North Korea relations, according to a readout issued by local Russian authorities.
At the Thursday summit, Kim is expected to push Putin for economic aid specifically relief from international sanctions that remain in place after nuclear talks with the United States broke down.
Kim no longer a pariah?
It is the latest high-profile summit for Kim, who until last year hadnt left North Korea since taking power in 2011.
Over the past year Kim has met twice with U. S. President Donald Trump, three times with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, four times with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and once with Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong.
‘What this has mainly done is give Kim some international credibility.
