As President Trump met for more than an hour with former North Korean intelligence chief Kim Yong Chol in the Oval Office Friday, Russia already had made sure to position itself favorably with Kim Jong Un.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Pyongyang on Thursday, where Kim said he values President Vladimir Putin's government for opposing U.S. dominance, Russian state media reported.
(...)
The talks with Lavrov were the first official face-to-face meeting between a Russian government figure and Kim, according to Tass. Lavrov, who was visiting North Korea for the first time since 2009, also invited Kim to Moscow.
"The situation on the Korean Peninsula is changing in accordance with the requirements of the interests of the two nations,” Kim said in the meeting, referring to the rival Koreas, Russia’s Tass news agency reported.
“I highly value the fact that Putin’s administration strictly opposes the U.S.’s dominance. You strictly oppose, and we are always ready to conduct negotiations and a profound exchange of opinions with the Russian side on this issue,” he added.
(...)
Kim said the Russian foreign minister's visit coincides with a changing situation on the Korean Peninsula, "rapidly moving towards talks and consultations," according to Tass.
Kim also noted that Lavrov's visit "shows how much attention the Russian leadership and President Putin pay to the further development and strengthening of our relations."
(...)
The meeting between Kim and Lavrov appeared to be an attempt to secure the support of Russia, and previously China, in helping to push the U.S. to make concessions toward Pyongyang, including easing sanctions, said Anthony Rinna, a specialist in Korea-Russia relations at the Sino-NK analysis website, according to Reuters.
He said Russia “cannot afford to be remembered as the country that had no hat in the ring leading up to June 12," Reuters reported.
In the long-term, Russia hopes to foster economic cooperation between both Koreas, Rinna added.
Full story: Kim Jong Un: North Korea values Russia for opposing U.S. dominance, state media reports (USA Today)