Kim Hopes Putin Talks Will Settle Korean Peninsula Dispute

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday during his first trip to Russia since becoming Supreme Leader of the Asian nation.

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“We welcome your efforts to develop an inter-Korean dialogue and normalize North Korea’s relations with the United States,” Putin said to Kim, who noted that with the world’s attention concentrated on the Korean Peninsula, “I think we will have a very meaningful dialogue on sharing our opinions on this matter while also jointly apprising and studying it.”

The summit, which is aimed at helping to resolve the North Korea-United States standoff over Pyongyang’s nuclear program, was held at a university in the city of Vladivostok.

The North Korean leader’s visit to Russia, according to Putin, will “help better understand what should be done to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, what we can do together, what Russia can do to support the positive processes going on now.”

Kim arrived in Vladivostok Wednesday aboard an armored train.

“I have heard a lot of good things about your country and wanted to visit it for a long time. Seven years have passed since I took charge of the country, but I did not have a chance to visit Russia until now.”

Kim stated to Russia’s state-owned Rossiya-24 that he was hoping for a “successful and useful” visit and would like to discuss the “settlement of the situation in the Korean Peninsula” as well as bilateral ties with Putin.

In February, U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim failed after a disagreement over sanctions on North Korea during the second meeting between the two leaders in Vietnam.