Putin says ‘smart’ Kim Jong Un wants security before dropping nuclear powers

The leaders of Russia and North Korea meet for the first time for wide-ranging talks – which ended with smiles.

President Vladimir Putin has said North Korea is open to denuclearisation, but that it needed security guarantees before moving forward.

Meeting for the first time, Mr Putin and Kim Jong Un attended their historic summit in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok.

Speaking afterwards, the pair announced the summit to be a success, with Mr Putin calling Mr Kim a “smart and interesting person”.

When the leaders parted, they waved and smiled broadly at each other.

The Russian president said: “We are satisfied with talks. Kim Jong Un is an open person, who is ready to discuss issues. We had a number of different topics and we managed to discuss them all, including denuclearisation. He is a smart and interesting person to talk to.”