Summary Moscow announced June 9 that Russian President Vladimir Putin would pay a visit to Pyongyang at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. The visit, likely to take place just prior to Putin's participation in the G8 summit in Japan July 21-23, will be the first for a Russian - or Soviet - leader to North Korea. Through the visit, Russia is attempting to reinsert itself as a key player on the Korean Peninsula - and in East Asia. Russia's involvement provides Pyongyang an opportunity to return to its old game of playing Moscow against Beijing, threatening to further strain Sino-Russian relations and potentially undermine inter-Korean reconciliation. Analysis On June 9, Moscow announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Pyongyang at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.