Kim Jong-un slams US for ‘bad faith’ in Hanoi talks, invites Vladimir Putin to North Korea

Remarks seen as putting pressure on US to be ‘more flexible’ in accepting Pyongyang’s demands to ease sanctions

Russian leader reported to have accepted invitation to visit North Korea ‘at a convenient time’

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin at an official reception following their talks in Vladivostok in an undated photo released on Thursday. Photo: KCNA via Reuters

Published: 7:36am, 26 Apr 2019Updated: 7:01pm, 26 Apr 2019

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un boarded his private train on Friday and headed back to Pyongyang after directing some harsh criticism at Washington during his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying the US negotiated in “bad faith” when he met with President Donald Trump in Hanoi two months ago.

Kim left about 4 ½ hours earlier than planned, Russian news agencies reported.

Putin, who indicated he may be interested in playing a bigger role in breaking North Korea’s stand-off with Washington, had already left for a two-day meeting in Beijing.

The Kremlin intends to brief the US on the contents of the summit as soon as the Russian delegation returns to Moscow, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RIA Novosti news agency. Putin said he will also brief Chinese leaders on his talks with Kim.

Before leaving Vladivostok, Kim visited a park near the headquarters of the Russian navy’s Pacific Fleet for a wreath-laying ceremony that was held two hours later than expected. Kim also had lunch with the local governor and businesspeople on the outskirts of town before going to the main railway station.

Following their talks on Thursday, Putin said Kim is willing to give up nuclear weapons, but only if he gets ironclad security guarantees supported by a multinational agreement.

Kim strongly criticised Washington for taking a “unilateral attitude in bad faith” at his February meeting with Trump in Hanoi said that caused the diplomatic standstill, North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said on Friday.

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