The term “Korean knot” is frequently used in Russian media discourse to describe the complex, multilateral political dealings over North Korea that define the issue.

The phrase is particularly apt for Russia, a country that struggles to maneuver through a complex regional framework in order to assert both its great power as well as regional geopolitical interests.

In the midst of Trump’s series of state visits across East Asia, the Kremlin confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump were due to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Vietnam on Saturday.