North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in Russia's Vladivostok for a summit with President Vladimir Putin.

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in Russia's Vladivostok for a summit with President Vladimir Putin. </s> VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (AP) — The Latest on the summit between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un (all times local):

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in Russia's Vladivostok for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kim arrived on his armored train, which pulled into the station in the Pacific port of Vladivostok Wednesday evening. He was greeted by a military orchestra before he got into his personal limousine that traveled with him, and drove away.

Kim's Russia trip comes about two months after his second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump failed because of disputes over U.S.-led sanctions on the North.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in Russia for his summit with President Vladimir Putin in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok.

Russian news agency Tass quoted a local official as saying Kim was given flowers, bread and salt at the Hasan train station after crossing the border.

Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov told Russian media Tuesday that the summit Thursday will focus on North Korea's nuclear program.

Kim's Russia trip comes about two months after his second summit with President Donald Trump failed because of disputes over U.S.-led sanctions on the North.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency said Kim was seen off by officials and residents as he left Pyongyang by his special train at dawn Wednesday. </s> North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of North Korea's foundation in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this undated photo released September 10, 2018 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERS

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a letter of invitation to visit Russia to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Monday.

He added no detailed plans of a meeting between the two leaders are being discussed at the moment. </s> SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will visit Russia for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, North Korean state media said on Tuesday, and a Russian news report said the leaders will meet on April 25 in Vladivostok.

The visit is part of Kim’s effort to build up foreign support for his economic development plans, analysts said, after the breakdown of a second U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi in February led to stalled talks with Washington on the sanctions relief sought by Pyongyang.

The North’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the visit will happen “soon,” but did not elaborate on the time or location.

Russia’s Kommersant newspaper reported on Tuesday that the visit was scheduled for April 25 in Vladivostok. The newspaper cited two sources close to the process of preparing the visit.

There was no immediate comment on the report from the Kremlin, but spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Putin and Kim are on track to meet by the end of April.

Kim Jong Un’s chief aide, Kim Chang Son, was seen in Vladivostok on Sunday, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.

NK News, a group that follows North Korea, showed photos on its website on Monday of preparations underway at Vladivostok’s Far Eastern Federal University, likely to host part of the summit, with workers installing North Korean and Russian flags.

After the failed Hanoi summit, Kim is probably looking to prove that he is still sought after by world leaders, and that he has more options, said Artyom Lukin, a professor at Far Eastern Federal University.

“Kim does not want to look too dependent on Washington, Beijing and Seoul,” he said.

“As for Russia, the Putin-Kim summit will reaffirm Moscow’s place as a major player on the Korean Peninsula. This meeting is important for Russian international prestige.” </s> Kim Jong Un arrives by train in Vladivostok for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin that is likely to focus on Pyongyang's nuclear program. </s> SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will soon visit Russia for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, North Korean state media said on Tuesday, with a Russian newspaper reporting they will meet on Thursday in Vladivostok.

The visit is part of Kim’s effort to build foreign support for his economic development plans, analysts said, after the breakdown of a second U.S.-North Korea summit in Vietnam in February meant no relief on sanctions for North Korea.

The North’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Tuesday the visit would happen soon, but did not elaborate on a time or location.

Russia’s Kommersant newspaper reported the visit was scheduled for April 25 in Vladivostok. The newspaper cited two sources close to the process of preparing the visit.

There was no immediate comment on the report from the Kremlin, but spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Putin and Kim were on track to meet by the end of April.

Kim’s chief aide, Kim Chang Son, was seen in Vladivostok on Sunday, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.

Russia has for years been involved in efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear program. It was involved in so-called six party talks - along with the two Koreas, Japan, the United States and China - that were last held in 2009.

NK News, a group that follows North Korea, showed photos on its website on Monday of preparations at Vladivostok’s Far Eastern Federal University, likely to host part of the summit, with workers putting up North Korean and Russian flags.

South Korea’s foreign ministry said it understood the agenda would include Russia-North Korea relations, denuclearization, and regional cooperation.

“Russia shares our viewpoints such as the achievement of complete denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and the settlement of permanent peace,” foreign ministry spokesman Kim In-chul said at a briefing in Seoul.

“I hope that the summit will be an opportunity that contributes to positive progress.”

After the failed Hanoi summit, Kim is probably looking to prove that he is still sought after by world leaders, and that he has more options, said Artyom Lukin, a professor at Far Eastern Federal University.

“Kim does not want to look too dependent on Washington, Beijing and Seoul,” he said.

“As for Russia, the Putin-Kim summit will reaffirm Moscow’s place as a major player on the Korean Peninsula. This meeting is important for Russian international prestige.” </s> MOSCOW — The Latest on Kim-Putin meeting (all times local):

A Kremlin adviser says that President Vladimir Putin will meet the North Korean leader in Russia's Far East on Thursday.

Yuri Ushakov told Russian news agencies on Tuesday that the much-anticipated talks between Putin and Kim Jong Un would be held in Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean and would focus on North Korea's nuclear program.

Local media have reported preparations and strict security measures undertaken in Vladivostok where the Korean leader is expected to arrive by train.

Kim had two summits with U.S. President Donald Trump, but the latest one in Vietnam in February collapsed because North Korea wanted more sanctions relief than the United States was willing to give for the amount of nuclear disarmament.

Preparations are underway for a summit between the leader of North Korea and Russia's president.

The Kremlin confirmed earlier this month that Kim Jong Un would meet with President Putin before the end of the month but has not named the place or date, citing security concerns.

Russia's port city of Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean, in the meantime, is seeing a number of unusually strict security measures.

Maritime authorities said on Tuesday that the waters around Russky Island, the likely summit venue, will be closed for all maritime traffic between Wednesday morning and Friday morning. Separately, local media reported that several platforms at Vladivostok's main train station will be closed for several days.

Kim, like his father, avoids air travel and is likely to travel to Vladivostok by train. </s> MOSCOW/VLADIVOSTOK: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet on Thursday in the Russian Pacific port of Vladivostok to discuss the international standoff over Pyongyang`s nuclear programme, a Kremlin official said. The visit is part of Kim`s effort to build foreign support after the breakdown of a second US-North Korea summit in Vietnam in February meant no relief on sanctions for North Korea, analysts said.

The summit will be the first between Putin and the North Korean leader. The nuclear row, and how to resolve it, would be the main item on the agenda, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters. "In the last few months the situation around the peninsula has stabilised somewhat, thanks in large part to North Korea`s initiatives of stopping rocket testing and closing its nuclear test site," Ushakov said. "Russia intends to help in any way possible to cement that positive trend."

The North`s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim departed for Russia on Wednesday morning by private train. Kim is accompanied by senior officials including Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, KCNA said. Kim`s chief aide, Kim Chang Son, was seen in Vladivostok on Sunday, according to South Korea`s Yonhap news agency.

Vladivostok is the closest major Russian city to the short stretch of border that Russia and North Korea share and can be reached from the border by train, Kim`s preferred mode of international transport.

Russia has for years been involved in efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear programme. It was involved in so-called six-party talks - along with North and South Korea, Japan, the United States and China - that was last held in 2009. "The United States and the international community is committed to the same goal - the final, fully verified denuclearisation of North Korea," a US State Department official said when asked about Kim`s latest summit.

"It is Chairman Kim’s commitment to denuclearisation upon which the world is focussed," he said.

The spokesman said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov and US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun would also continue their dialogue "to bridge any gaps on the way forward?."

South Korea`s foreign ministry said it understood the agenda would include Russia-North Korea relations, denuclearisation, and regional cooperation. "Russia shares our viewpoints such as the achievement of complete denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula and the settlement of permanent peace," foreign ministry spokesman Kim In-chul said in Seoul.

"I hope that the summit will be an opportunity that contributes to positive progress."

Kim Jong Un is probably looking to prove that he is still sought after by world leaders after the failed Hanoi summit with U.S. President Donald Trump and that he has more options, said Artyom Lukin, a professor at Far Eastern Federal University. The North Korean leader did not want to look too dependent on Washington, Beijing and Seoul, he said. "As for Russia, the Putin-Kim summit will reaffirm Moscow`s place as a major player on the Korean peninsula. This meeting is important for Russian international prestige," Lukin said.

Putin previously held a summit in Russia with Kim Jong Un`s father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il, in 2002. Kim Jong Il visited Russia again in 2011, when he was hosted by Dmitry Medvedev, the Putin lieutenant who at the time was serving as Russian president.

Online media that monitor North Korea reported that the venue for the summit would be the Far Eastern Federal University, on an island that is connected to the mainland part of Vladivostok by a bridge.

The bridge was built in time for the 2012 Asia-Pacific Cooperation Summit, which took place on the same site. The sports complex at the university was closed on Tuesday and workers were seen bringing in pieces of furniture, a Reuters TV crew at the site reported. A white tent had been erected next to the sports complex.

Security guards at the entrance to the campus were stopping and searching vehicles as they drove in. There were no signs of preparation at Vladivostok railway station. However at Khasan, a Russian settlement where the train line crosses the border, the state flags of Russia and North Korea were fluttering from the station building on Tuesday. A set of mobile steps for alighting from a train was positioned on the platform edge. </s> MOSCOW (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Wednesday he hoped to have concrete discussions about efforts to end the nuclear standoff in the Korean peninsula when he meets Russian President Vladimir Putin for a summit this week.

“I hope the talks will be successful and useful,” he said in comments broadcast by Russia’s state-owned Rossiya 24 television station. “I hope that we can discuss concrete questions about peace negotiations on the Korean peninsula, and our bilateral relations,” he said, speaking through an interpreter.
Korean Central News Agency confirms North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will soon visit Russia for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.