Kim Jong-un arrives in Russia for Thursday meeting with Vladimir Putin

A Kremlin adviser says that President Vladimir Putin will meet the North Korean leader in Russia's Far East on Thursday.

Yuri Ushakov told Russian news agencies Tuesday that the much-anticipated talks between Putin and Kim Jong-un would be held in Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean and would focus on North Korea's nuclear program.

Kim arrived in Russia by train after leaving Pyongyang early Wednesday. Russian news agency Tass quoted a local official as saying Kim was given flowers, bread and salt at the Hasan train station after crossing the border.

The visit is part of Kim's effort to build up foreign support for his economic development plans, analysts said, after the breakdown of a second U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi in February led to stalled talks with Washington on the sanctions relief sought by Pyongyang.

After the failed Hanoi summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, Kim is probably looking to prove that he is still sought after by world leaders, and that he has more options, said Artyom Lukin, a professor at Far Eastern Federal University.

"Kim does not want to look too dependent on Washington, Beijing and Seoul," he said.

"As for Russia, the Putin-Kim summit will reaffirm Moscow's place as a major player on the Korean Peninsula. This meeting is important for Russian international prestige."

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