article_snippet.sent: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has backed out of next month's visit to Moscow for World War II anniversary celebrations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.
article_snippet.sent: Next month's visit to Moscow by the North Korean leader was highly anticipated because Next month's visit to Moscow by the North Korean leader would have marked Kim's first official foreign trip since inheriting the leadership of North Korea in late 2011.
article_snippet.sent: Kim's trip had been anticipated since late December, when Russian state media reported that Moscow had extended an invitation.
article_snippet.sent: There was no further explanation, from Moscow or Pyongyang, as to why Kim wouldn't head west.
highlights_snippet.sent: Next month's visit to Moscow by the North Korean leader is off .
  