What DPRK wants from Russia?

World
Europe

01:51

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong Un arrived in the Russian Pacific port of Vladivostok on Wednesday for his first-ever meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for April 25.

China welcomes Putin-Kim summit

So what exactly is the DPRK seeking to achieve through its engagements with Russia? And why is the timing of the Putin-Kim meeting significant?

During the Cold War period, the DPRK and Soviet Union were key allies but after the collapse of the Soviet Union the relationship suffered.

Geographically, both countries share a short border, close to the Russian city of Vladivostok, where the two leaders are expected to meet.

The last Russia-DPRK meeting took place in 2011, when then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met Kim's father Kim Jong Il. During the early 2000s, Russia was also part of the now defunct six-party talks with the DPRK over the nuclear issues.

DPRK leader Kim Jong Un is escorted in a car in the Russian far-eastern city of Vladivostok, Russia, April 24, 2019. /Reuters Photo

Why is the timing of the upcoming talks significant?

The first Kim-Putin summit comes almost two months after the collapse of denuclearization talks with the United States.

Experts believe by looking toward Russia Kim is trying to fight the U.S.-led isolation campaign. They say Kim would ideally want to use its renewed friendship with Russia as a leverage in any future talks with the United States.

As no relief is expected over economic sanctions, the DPRK believes even token diplomatic ties would prove beneficial in the long run.

DPRK leader Kim Jong Un (L, front) with Russian Minister for Development of the Russian Far East Alexander Kozlov (C, front) and Governor of Primorsky Region Oleg Kozhemyako (R) upon his arrival at a railway station in Khasan, Russia, April 24, 2019. /Reuters Photo

Russia's return to Korean peace process?

Analysts argue that it is an opportunity for Putin to stage Russia's comeback in the Korean Peninsula peace process.

Though the DPRK would want some form of economic help but given its own financial woes observers believe that Russia is not likely to invest much in the DPRK, at least for now. Therefore, it seems that big-ticket announcements are unlikely to come, but the summit itself may give a symbolic message to Trump.