"It is possible to expect Kim Jong-il's arrival in Moscow for this event," said Pulikovsky, Putin's envoy in Russia's Far Eastern region.
Both Bush -- whose administration has called North Korea an "outpost of tyranny" -- and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun have said they will attend the Moscow ceremony on May 9. Apart from the possibility of Kim being on the same platform as Bush, the presence of Roh also suggests there could be an inter-Korean summit -- only the second in five years, with the last one in Pyongyang. The United States and North Korea, locked in a stand-off over Pyongyang's nuclear program, have no diplomatic ties. The state of relations now suggest any encounter between Bush and Kim, even if it took place, would be frosty at the least. The Kremlin declined to comment on the report.
Russia has good links with North Korea, a former Cold War ally, and the two leaders have visited each other's capital. Putin described Kim in 2000 as a man "it is possible to do business with." Pulikovsky said Kim's visit could come before celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of North Korean independence scheduled for Pyongyang in August. "We can assume that before his holiday the North Korean leader will consider it necessary to take part in the events in Moscow," he was quoted as saying.