Security tight around venue of Putin-Kim summit

Heavy security presence on Thursday at the Far East Federal University campus on Russky Island, in the city of Vladivostok, where Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Kim, making his first trip to Russia as North Korean leader, arrived at the train station in Vladivostok on Wednesday on board an armoured train -- his preferred mode of international transport.

The summit - the first ever between Putin and Kim - provides Pyongyang with an opportunity to seek support from a new quarter, Russia, and possible relief from the sanctions hurting its economy.

For the Kremlin, the summit is a chance to show it is a global diplomatic player, despite efforts by the United States and other Western states to isolate it.