Trump sees progress with DPRK, welcomes Putin's support

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U.S. President Donald Trump, who ended a summit with Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong Un earlier this year without a nuclear deal, said on Friday a lot of progress was being made towards an agreement and welcomed support from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin said after holding his first face-to-face talks with DPRK leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday that U.S. security guarantees would probably not be enough to persuade Pyongyang to shut its nuclear program.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un shake hands during their talks at Far East Federal University on Russky Island in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25, 2019. /Reuters Photo

Putin said he believed any U.S. guarantees might need to be supported by the other nations involved in previous six-party talks on the nuclear issue, which included Russia, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) as well as the United States and the DPRK.

"I think we're doing very well with North Korea (DPRK). A lot of progress is being made,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I appreciated President Putin's statement yesterday. He wants to see it done also. I think there's a lot of excitement for getting a deal done ...”

Trump said he appreciated Russian and Chinese support.

Meanwhile, Trump on Friday said the United States did not pay any money to the DPRK as it sought the release of Otto Warmbier, a day after a report said Trump had approved a 2-million-U.S.-dollar bill from Pyongyang for the American student's care.

"No money was paid to North Korea (DPRK) for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else,” Trump wrote in a tweet.

Source(s): Reuters