Putin and Kim laud successful meeting

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said North Korea is committed to denuclearization. Putin made his remarks during his first summit with the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un. Kim arrived at the train station in Khasan, Russia, on Wednesday before traveling to the port city of Vladivostok. The two leaders met one-on-one and with other officials at a university on Russky Island.

Putin said Russia and the United States want North Korea to get rid of its nuclear weapons but North Korea asked for strong security guarantees first. He did not offer additional details. The Russian president said he would share details from the summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, adding, “There are no secrets.” Kim said the “candid and meaningful” talks focused on how to promote stability in regional politics and denuclearization efforts.

Negotiations between the United States and North Korea stalled at a meeting in February in Hanoi, Vietnam. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said he hopes this week’s summit will “lay a foundation for the resumption of North Korea-U.S. talks and the promotion of denuclearization process on the Korean Peninsula.”