Kim needs guarantees before getting rid of weapons, says Putin
After his summit with Kim Jong-un, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said that the North Korean leader is ready to proceed toward denuclearisation but needs solid security guarantees to do so.
Mr Putin said that he will be willing to share details of the summit with US President Donald Trump, adding that “there are no secrets”.
He noted that Mr Kim himself encouraged him to explain certain nuances of Pyongyang’ s position to Mr Trump.
The summit on R us sky Island, across a bridge from the far-eastern port city of Vladivostok, reflected Russia’s effort to emerge as an essential player in the North Korean nuclear stand-off, a role that would raise Moscow’s global cl out and its leverage with Washington.
Mr Putin emphasised that the North Korean leader is ready to move toward a nuclear-free status but would only proceed when he gets solid guarantees.
He did not, however, specify what those guarantees would look like. “Above all, he focuses on protecting national interests and security,” Mr Putin said.
Mr Putin also voiced confidence that Mr Kim’s visit will “help better understand what should be done to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, what we can do together, what Russia can do to support the positive processes going on now”.
Mr Kim’s meeting with Mr Putin follows a year of intense diplomacy which the Nor th hopes will help ease international sanctions over its nuclear weapons and long-range missile programmes.
Mr Kim has already held four summits with Chinese Pr es id entXiJ in ping, three with South Korean President Moon J ae-on and two with President Donald Trump.
Mr Kim’ s second summit with Mr Trump in February ended without any agreements. His trip to Russia reflects his desire to put more pressure on Washington and show some independence from Beijing.
For Mr Putin, the meeting offered a chance to increase his role as a potential broker. He immediately emphasised that he was willing to share details of the talks with Mr Trump. The Russian leader said that Moscow and Washington both want Pyongyang to denuclearise. When he sat down for talks with Mr Kim, he praised him for engaging in dialogue with the US.
“We welcome your efforts to develop an inter-korean dialogue and normalise Nor th Korea’ s relations with the United States,” Mr Putin told Mr Kim.
Mr Kim described the talks as “candid and meaningful”. He also congratulated the Russian leader on his re-election to another six-year term last year.