Vladimir Putin and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un will meet in Vladivostok, in Russia’s Far East, on April 25. It will be the first meeting of the two heads of state.

The leaders will hold talks on Thursday, Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, confirmed. He called Kim’s visit to Russia “the key event” in the recent history of Moscow-Pyongyang relations.

It is crucial in terms of assisting the political and diplomatic efforts to resolve the [North Korean] nuclear issue.

Earlier reports suggested that the leaders will hold talks on Russky Island near Vladivostok.

A short time ago a video appeared that shows a large motorcade, including two unidentified black limos, arriving through a checkpoint. The footage published on YouTube shows the main entrance to the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) on Russky Island.

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The Putin-Kim talks are due to take place amidst a breakdown in Pyongyang’s negotiations with Washington. Earlier this month, the North Korean leader gave the US until the end of 2019 to change its “posture” if it wants to make another summit between him and President Donald Trump possible.

Kim also expressed dissatisfaction with the negotiation style of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, saying that he should be excluded from future talks.

But Washington insisted on keeping Pompeo on the team.

Russia welcomed face-to-face talks between the US and North Korea but opposed the use of ultimatums and stressed that sanctions alone can’t resolve the situation.

While it’s Kim’s first visit to Russia, Putin visited North Korea in 2000 back when the nation was ruled by Kim Jong-il, the father of its current leader. Kim Jong-il paid a return visit the following year, travelling to Moscow in his famous armored train. His two other visits were in 2002 and 2011, but neither had the Russian capital as the destination.

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