North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is on a train making its way to Russia to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a summit between the two countries.
Kim departed early Wednesday morning from the North Korean capital of Pyongyang en route to the Russian city of Vladivostok via a private train. The two leaders will reportedly discuss the international response and standoff to North Korea’s nuclear program, although no joint statements or signed agreements are planned.
A State Department representative told CNN that the U.S. is aware that Kim had departed North Korea. The meeting between the two was confirmed Monday by North Korean state-run media.
“The United States and the international community is committed to the same goal — the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea,” the representative said. “It is Chairman Kim’s commitment to denuclearization upon which the world is focused.”
The meeting between Putin and Kim comes after a summit was held between President Trump and Kim in February. Trump walked out of the negotiations after it became clear the two could not come to an agreement over North Korea’s nuclear program.
Last week, North Korea tested out a new battlefield weapon, which North Korean state media described as a “new-type tactical guided weapon.”
