Global geopolitical Series: Lavrov to visit North Korea ahead of crucial Trump-Kim summit

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov would be visiting North Korea ahead of North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong-Un’s meeting with the U.S. President Donald Trump at the invitation of North Korea’s foreign minister Ri Yong Ho, according to a statement published by North Korea’s state-owned news agency. No further information was provided by the agency but it is likely that the Russian foreign minister will also have a sitting with the supreme leader.

Russia is North Korea’s second most trusted ally after China since it sided with North Korea in the Korean war of the 50’s and provided support to the regime for decades since it suffered western sanctions. Russia along with China put forwarded a proposal, which would see North Korea denuclearizing in exchange for a halt in United States’ military exercises with South Korea.

Though President Trump has officially called off the much-anticipated meeting between him and Kim Jong-un to be held on June 12th citing hostility and anger from the North Korean side, it is very likely that the summit would go ahead as Trump praised the flurry diplomatic efforts by North Korea to keep the summit live.