Trump says he appreciated statements made by Russia's Putin about North Korea

US President Donald Trump said he appreciated the statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin after the summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vladivostok.

China's efforts on the denuclearization front  were also helpful, Trump told reporters at the White House.

The two heads of state met on Thursday in the Russian city of Vladivostok, where they discussed North Korea’s nuclear program, among other security issues.  It was the first-ever meeting of the two leaders.

Speaking to the press after the summit, President Putin urged international cooperation, and that the DPRK be given a security guarantee.

“They [the North Koreans] only need guarantees about their security,” President Putin said. “That’s it. All of us together need to think about this.”

A unilateral guarantee from the US wouldn’t be enough, he added, emphasizing the need for more parties in the negotiations. He suggested reviving an older formula for talks, which included Russia, China, Japan, and South Korea, in addition to the US.

President Putin appeared to get along with the North Korean leader, with their one-on-one meeting going twice as long as scheduled. Putin said Kim was “thoughtful,” “interesting” and “quite open.” The leaders exchanged gifts.

Putin said he would brief President Trump on what he discussed with Kim.

President Trump’s own initiative to ink a grand deal with the DPRK, which began in earnest last year, has in recent weeks faltered, with talks stalling over the contentious nuclear issue. Trump met with Kim for a historic summit in Singapore in June 2018, but progress in the talks hasn’t moved as fast as some hoped.

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