North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was reportedly set to attend Russia's 70th anniversary celebrations of toppling Nazi Germany, but Kremlin representatives said they learned through "diplomatic channels," that the planned May trip is off, The New York Times reports.
Dmitri Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, cited "internal Korean affairs," for the cancelation. The visit to Moscow would have been Kim's first trip outside of North Korea since taking control of the country following his father's death in 2011.
Several European leaders have chosen not to attend the military celebrations — which include a parading of nuclear weapons — in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea and alleged ongoing operations in eastern Ukraine. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, and the United States' ambassador to Russia are all still slated to appear at the events in Moscow.
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