Despite a relationship that goes back to the very foundation of North Korea, relations between Pyongyang and Moscow haven’t always been the picture of comradery, or even particularly close. Unlike China, which has lots of businessmen on the ground in North Korea, Russia has a very small footprint in the North. He has since held four summits with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and two with Trump. Like Kim, Putin is no admirer of Washington’s use of sanctions as a political tool. If Putin chooses to take a more hands-on approach to North Korea, Washington’s efforts to keep Kim’s focus on denuclearization could get a lot more complicated.

Source: Egypt Independent April 23, 2019 06:33 UTC