Kim grumbles about US hegemonism in Russia talks
TOKYO: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un complained of “US hegemonism” to Russia’s visiting foreign minister on Thursday, even as President Donald Trump said it may take more than one meeting with Kim to seal a denuclearisation deal.
Trump told Reuters aboard Air Force One that he would like Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear weapons programme as quickly as possible under any agreement.
He also said he was still hoping for a summit with Kim on June 12 in Singapore, and that a North Korean delegation will probably come to Washington on Friday to deliver a letter from Kim.
In Pyongyang, Kim told Sergey Lavrov that he hoped to boost cooperation with Russia, which has remained largely on the sidelines in recent months as Kim has made a major diplomatic outreach to the US as well as to South Korea and China.
“As we move to adjust to the political situation in the face of US hegemonism, I am willing to exchange detailed and in-depth opinions with your leadership and hope to do so moving forward,” Kim told Lavrov.
Kim’s comments came as US secretary of state Mike Pompeo’s meetings with a top North Korean official ended more than two hours earlier than expected.
A US official said the talks with Kim Yong Chol “went well” and “made progress” in salvaging the summit. Shortly after the meeting, Pompeo tweeted: “Substantive talks with the team from #Northkorea. We discussed our priorities for the potential summit between our leaders.”