Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted North Korea’s ruler, Kim Jong Un, at a summit in the Russian port of Vladivostok on Thursday, the first time the two have met as leaders, amid efforts by the United States to persuade the North to abandon its nuclear weapons.
The two met at a university on Russky island, a large island in the Sea of Japan linked to Vladivostok by a bridge. Putin received Kim with a Russian honor guard on a red carpet, with the two exchanging a long handshake before going inside for talks.
Speaking at the opening of the talks, Putin said he welcomed Kim’s efforts to normalize relations with the U.S. and said he hoped the talks would help Russia play a role in ending the diplomatic standoff over North Korea’s nuclear arms.