Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin celebrate their first summit in Russia

Kim Jon-un and Vladimir Putin met in Vladivostok on Thursday for their first summit, with the aim of strengthening the "historical ties" between North Korea and Russia, while the nuclear issue is in neutrality with Washington.

Despite repeated invitations to Kim, Russia has so far moved away from the dramatic détente observed on the Korean Peninsula since the beginning of 2018.

But two months after the resounding failure of his second meeting with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi, the North Korean leader seeks to be supported in his pulse by Washington.

It is also continuing to rebalance relations between China, its closest ally, and Moscow, its traditional ally of the Cold War.

Putin landed Thursday in Vladivostok, where Kim Jong-un arrived on board his olive-green armored train the day before. Their meeting will take place at Russki Island, where Russian and North Korean flags were installed and an important security device was deployed.

During the meeting, North Korea said that "strengthen traditional relations" with Russia. While Putin said that Moscow and Pyongyang had "a lot to do" to develop economic relations.

Putin also expressed confidence that the summit would not only help develop bilateral relations, but also contribute to a peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula.

"We appreciate your efforts to develop inter-Korean dialogue and normalize relations between North Korea and the United States.Putin told Kim early in the first summit between the two leaders since the North Korean Marshal took office in 2011.

No statement or agreement should be signed at the summit, the first at this level between the two countries since the 2011 meeting between Kim Jong Il and former president and current prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev.

The father of the current North Korean leader said on this occasion that he was ready to give up the nuclear tests. But Kim Jong Un presided over four nuclear tests and the launch of intercontinental missiles capable of reaching the continental United States.

"I hope this visit will be fruitful and useful," the North Korean leader told Russian television during a stop in his train after crossing the Russian border. Kim also explained that he wanted to talk to Putin about "the concrete way to resolve the situation on the Korean peninsula".

"Movement" and "difficult"

After years of increased tension from Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic programs, Kim has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping four times since March 2018, three with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and two others with the Chinese president. Trump.

In Hanoi, North Korea has tried to get a reduction in the international sanctions applied to force it to give up its atomic weapons. But talks ended earlier than expected because of deep disagreements with Washington, especially about the concessions Pyongyang was willing to make.

Moscow advocates a dialogue with Pyongyang on the basis of a road map set by China and Russia, a country that has already called for the withdrawal of international sanctions, while the United States accuses it of stalling. have helped North Korea to avoid them.

"Some Western countries are claiming world leadership, flouting the rules and principles of international law, blackmail, punish and lobby, and try to impose their values ​​and ideals on entire countries and peoples", criticized Vladimir Putin. interview with the People's Daily.

In addition to the nuclear issue, the two leaders should address the strengthening of their economic cooperation and, more specifically, the issue of North Korean labor. About 10,000 workers are employed in Russia, a valuable source of foreign currency for Pyongyang.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2397 of December 2017 urged all countries that employ North Koreans to send them back to their country two years from now.

Relations between Pyongyang and Moscow date back to the Soviet era. The USSR placed in power the grandfather of Kim Jong Un and the founder of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Il Sung, and provided crucial support during the Cold War..

However, during this period, relations were erratic, mainly because Kim Il Sung excelled in the art of taking advantage of Sino-Soviet rivalry to obtain concessions from his two powerful neighbors.

Shortly after his first election as President of Russia, Vladimir Putin attempted to normalize his relations and met Kim Jong Il, father and predecessor of the current leader, three times. The first meeting was held in Pyongyang in 2000, making Putin the first Russian leader to visit North Korea.