Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that President Vladimir Putin is about to meet North Korea n leader Kim Jong-un in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok. It is very likely that the meeting would be held after Putin attends the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. World media have long paid close attention to the possibility of a meeting between the leaders of Russia and North Korea, with speculation of a bilateral meeting several times.The possibility of a meeting between Putin and Kim was high during the Eastern Economic Forum last year. They came quite close to meeting each other with Russia even sending representatives to Vladivostok. But the meeting did not take place.The much sought-after summit between Putin and Kim deserves special attention because the time and place chosen are very crucial.First, it is a very sensitive time for the North Korean nuclear issue. The signing of the peace agreement meant for February 27 did not take place at the second Kim-Trump summit, and preparations are on for the upcoming summit.All parties concerned with the North Korean nuclear issue are striving to get the best out of future negotiations. It is likely Russia will host the Kim-Putin meeting after participating in the international summit on BRI in Beijing, another proof of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.On the North Korea issue , Russia has always stood by China's long-standing demand of achieving denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and recognizing Beijing's dual-track parallel requests.The venue is crucial as even last year, the two sides came close to a meeting in Vladivostok. For Russia, Vladivostok is especially symbolic. After Putin took the third term in 2012, Russia stepped up its outreach to Asia. Moscow has positioned itself as a major European and Asian power reaching out to both the East and West. Relations between its eastern region and Asian countries are on par with the Kremlin's ties with Europe.Russia has lent to Vladivostok the role of a window to Asia. First, it holds the annual Eastern Economic Forum at the new campus of the Far Eastern Federal University. Then recently, Putin has signed an order to move the administrative agencies of the Far East Federal District to Vladivostok.In the eyes of Putin, Vladivostok is not only a driving force to attract foreign investment and promote the development of the Far East, but also a frontier position for Russia to actively implement Asia policy and strive for the status of a great Asian power. Out of this purpose, Putin invited President Xi Jinping to Vladivostok last year and even Kim was given a similar invite.The North Korean nuclear issue does not involve Russia's core interest, and Moscow is pursuing "limited participation." According to Russian diplomatic philosophy, the core interests of the country are concentrated in the post-Soviet space, including the heart of the Eurasian continent. This means Russia will not pay too high a price for the North Korean nuclear issue.In recent years, Russia has been increasingly investing in the development of the East Siberian region and developing relations with Asian countries. It needs to gain the right to speak as a great Asian power. Russia wants participation in resolving the nuclear issue, but to a limited extent. Therefore, the meeting between Putin and Kim even though important may be of symbolic strategic significance to Russia.From the Six-Party Talks to today's multi-party diplomatic mediation, Russia still has the ability to influence North Korea with which it has never stopped secret diplomatic activities. Russia advocates peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue through negotiations and opposes Western countries' arm-twisting approach. Russia consciously relies on its powerful nuclear arsenal to contain the military impulses of Western countries. Therefore, Moscow wants itself to be seen as being able to provide security guarantee on the North Korean nuclear issue.Kim needs Russia to play a role in the issue to help not only ward off military pressure from the West but also ease the load of UN sanctions. In 2018, Russia reduced the number of North Korean laborers it could accept in accordance with UN Security Council sanctions from 30,000 per year to 10,000 last year. Remittance from laborers working in Russia was an important source of North Korea's foreign exchange and also helped ease the unemployment problem. This time, talks are likely to include reducing sanctions.For Russia and North Korea, holding the summit is highly significant, though this relationship is not key to solving the nuclear conundrum. Even though the summit has been officially announced, one shouldn't be surprised if it is called off or delayed.As far as China is concerned, Russia plays a balancing role in the nuclear issue. It is precisely because of China and Russia's stance to press for a peaceful resolution of the issue that the situation in the region has not worsened. China likes seeing Russia play a positive role on the North Korean nuclear issue through its "limited participation."The author is a post-doctorate researcher from the Centre for Russian Studies, East China Normal University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn