Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, refused an invitation to visit Moscow to mark the Soviet Union's victory in World War II because Russia refused to meet Pyongyang's demands for special treatment for the young dictator.
A spokesman for the Kremlin announced on Thursday that Mr Kim had "decided to stay in Pyongyang" due to "internal issues".
The North Korean leader's snub to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, apparently came as a surprise to Moscow, which only hours earlier had indicated that preparations for Mr Kim's first overseas visit since he inherited the country in December 2011 were well under way.
South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported that Mr Kim opted to remain in Pyongyang because Russia "refused to comply with the North's request for special treatment, given that there will be several other foreign dignitaries at the event.
"Without top-grade security, Kim would inevitably have become a freak show for the global press", it added.
Being treated equally with other international leaders - and not enjoying centre-stage in the commemorative events, as he always does at home - would also have damaged his standing in the eyes of the North Korean public.
Analysts have suggested that the North Korean leader is still concerned about the degree of genuine support for his regime in political and military circles at home and is reluctant to give his rivals an opportunity to plot against him.
Mr Kim may also have been reluctant to antagonise China further by holding talks with Mr Putin before he meets with Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader.
Ties between Pyongyang and Beijing have been strained in recent years, leading North Korea to seek closer ties with Russia, but Mr Kim will undoubtedly be mindful of the degree to which his country still relies on China for its survival.
Kim Myong-chol, executive director of The Centre for North Korea-US Peace and a mouthpiece for the regime in Pyongyang, dismissed the reports as "nonsense".
"North Korea has never stated that Mr Kim will go to Moscow, so this is not news", he told The Telegraph. "Him going there was wishful thinking on the part of Russia."
Mr Kim said it is possible that the North Korean leader will travel to Beijing in September for China's events marking the end of the war, but added, "But Xi must come to Pyongyang in August to attend North Korea's 70th anniversary events first".
This article was written by Julian Ryall Tokyo from The Daily Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
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