VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA
Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on April 25, ahead of their summit on Russky Island. With U.S.– North Korea negotiations faltering, the first meeting between Putin and Kim could suggest increased Russian influence in the push for North Korean denuclearization. Although the summit ended with no joint statement, it seemed to benefit Putin by presenting him as an influential diplomatic broker.
YURI KADOBNOV