NK leader may also visit Russia for talks with Putin

By Lee Min-hyung

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

With North Korean leader Kim Jong-un making a surprise visit to China, chances are that the dictator will also hold dialogue with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The possibility has risen after Kim ended his four-day state visit to Beijing on Wednesday. Kim, accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol-ju, met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The meeting between the two leaders came at a time when the North Korean leader plans to hold dialogue with President Moon Jae-in and United States President Donald Trump in April and May, respectively.

Kim's unprecedented active determination for dialogue also raises hopes for a possible meeting with the Russian leader.

The Kremlin dismissed the possibility for a potential summit between Kim and Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday that no schedule for the summit has been arranged and is not under review at the moment.

But chances are that Pyongyang and Moscow could join hands, as Russia also apparently hopes to play a part in the ongoing North Korea nuclear issues.

“It is too early to expect Kim to visit Moscow and hold a summit with Putin,” said Lee Jin-gon, a former professor of political science at Kyung Hee University. “Kim has to deal with scheduled summits with President Moon Jae-in and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump.”

“Kim may signal a gesture for dialogue, but it remains to be seen whether the two leaders will hold a summit in the next few months,” he added. “My view is that we need to wait and see the results of Kim's summits with Moon and Trump, before discussing the possibility of his meeting with Putin.”

The last summit between Russia and North Korea came in August 2011 when Kim Jong-il, the late father of Kim Jong-un, met with Putin in Russia.