Russian President Vladimir Putin said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un confirmed during their first summit Thursday he is willing to give up his nuclear weapons but only if he gets an ironclad guarantee of security beforehand.
The Russian president stressed that Moscow and Washington both want North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons. But he said the security guarantees should be underwritten by multiple countries, hinting at an arrangement like the six-nation talks Russia participated in until their collapse in 2009.
Putin added that Kim encouraged him to explain the nuances of Pyongyang's position to President Donald Trump. He said he's willing to share details of the summit with the American president.
"I will talk about it tomorrow with the leadership of China," Putin said before heading to Beijing on a two-day visit after meeting Kim. "And we will just as openly discuss this issue with the US leadership. There are no secrets. Russia's position always has been transparent. There are no plots of any kind."