  North Korea

The Russian president Vladimir Putin visited the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Wednesday. In Pyongyang they signed a "partnership deal" on close cooperation and pledging mutual defense assistance. The extent to which military-technical cooperation is written into the agreement, however, remains unclear.

According to the US government, Vladimir Putin plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vladivostok this month. Apparently, he wants Pyongyang to supply Moscow with weapons for its war against Ukraine. European commentators see this as a sign of Russia's weakness and note that it will give North Korea's leadership new leverage.

After a handshake with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the Demilitarized Zone Donald Trump became the first US president to set foot on North Korean soil. Afterwards the two leaders had a conversation in which they agreed to resume the stalled de-nuclearisation talks. Is it all just a big show or could it give peace on the Korean Peninsula a real boost?

The North Korean ruler and the US president are meeting for the second time this Wednesday in Hanoi. On Twitter Donald Trump spoke of his "friend" Kim Jong-un and predicted that North Korea will experience an economic upturn. Commentators see both protagonists under pressure to get results at their meeting.

The meeting between Kim and Trump continues to be the subject of close scrutiny. While the Chinese press is full of praise, commentators in other countries ask what Iran can learn from the summit, and why Trump of all people has clinched the deal with Kim Jong-un.

In a surprise move, the regime in Pyongyang announced on the weekend that it was suspending its nuclear and missile tests. Coming shortly before the meeting between the North and South Korean leaders and after the meeting of the designated US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with Kim Jong-un, the decision is being heralded as a sign of a détente in the North Korea crisis. Rightly so?

Following the meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the Chinese head of state Xi Jinping in Beijing, Chinese media have spoken of a harmonious encounter and quoted Kim stating that the issue of denuclearisation could be resolved. Some media see first signs of a detente in the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Others see obstacles beyond those in Pyongyang and Beijing.

The first encounter between a US president and a North Korean leader is on the agenda. After Donald Trump unexpectedly accepted Kim Jong-un's invitation the White House is now insisting that certain specific promises be fulfilled before a meeting take place. Torn between fascination and concern, commentators aren't quite sure what to make of this rapprochement.

US President Donald Trump has once again crossed swords with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the conflict over North Korea's nuclear and missile programme. The nuclear button on his desk is bigger and more powerful than that of the DPRK, Trump tweeted on Tuesday. Is he only escalating the conflict with his boasting?

After its nuclear weapons test on the weekend Pyongyang has threatened countermeasures if new sanctions are imposed. UN General Secretary António Guterres then stressed to all nations that war on the Korean Peninsula must be avoided at all costs. Commentators discuss how the international community should react.

After North Korea's latest missile test, this time over Japan and across the Pacific, US President Trump indirectly threatened to resort to military measures. Commentators discuss the geopolitical sensitivity of the North Korea conflict and the goals Moscow and Beijing are pursuing.

The recent sabre rattling by North Korea and the US is making a military escalation increasingly likely in the eyes of many observers. Commentators assess the threat of war, examine the background story and sound out possibilities for a peaceful solution.

The new sanctions are intended to persuade North Korea to end its nuclear programme. They received an unanimous vote of approval in the UN Security Council last weekend. For many commentators, however, sanctions alone are not enough.

The US has warned that it is prepared to take military action against North Korea if the country doesn't give up its controversial nuclear programme. But a diplomatic solution would be preferred, US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley explained. The US plans to present a resolution on tougher sanctions to the UN Security Council. Europe's press discusses whether this is the right approach.

Pyongyang threatened the US with a pre-emptive strike on Thursday. On the weekend North Korea had carried out a missile test which, however, failed. UN Secretary General António Guterres has called on China, the US, Japan, South Korea and Russia to prevent a North Korean military build-up. How dangerous is this latest escalation?

Pressure on US President Donald Trump is growing after the death of Otto Warmbier. Influential Republicans are demanding a firm response to the American student's death. Warmbier died in his home state of Ohio on Monday, shortly after being evacuated to the US after serving 18 months of a 15-year prison sentence in North Korea. Europe's press is deeply concerned about the diplomatic crisis.

The UN Security Council has threatened Pyongyang with "further significant measures" after North Korea carried out its second nuclear test this year. But neither threats nor stricter sanctions will deter Kim Jong-un, commentators fear - at least not as long as China remains idle.