For Someone Who Is Always Late For Meetings, Russian President Putin Showed Up Before North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Did

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet for the first time on Thursday. They held meetings at the Far Eastern Federal University campus at Russky Island off Vladivostok, Russia. Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters

Business Insider: Putin broke the habit of a lifetime and didn't show up late for his first-ever meeting with Kim Jong Un

* Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met for the first time on Thursday.
* They chiefly discussed North Korea's nuclear program. They met on an island off Vladivostok, in eastern Russia.
* But one thing that stood out from the summit was how much Putin gave face to Kim by showing up half an hour early to their meeting.
* Putin is notoriously late to meetings, and has kept people like US President Donald Trump, Pope Francis, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel waiting, sometimes for hours.

One thing that stood out from the summit was how much Putin appeared to show his respect for Kim, who not long ago was an international pariah.

The Russian leader, who has a long track record of making world leaders wait for him, arrived at the venue 30 minutes before Kim.

Read more ....

WNU editor: They were actually both late. The meeting was suppose to be at 1:00 PM, but Putin showed up at 1:35, and Kim showed up at 2:05. There are though two people that I know of where President Putin always shows up on time. There are also two of his closest friends .... Silvio Berlusconi, the former Prime Minister of Italy, and Gerhard Schröder, former Chancellor of Germany.

Russian President Putin To Brief China And the U.S. On Kim Talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shakes hands during their talks at Far East Federal University on Russky Island in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25, 2019. Russian President Vladimir Putin said after holding his first face-to-face talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that U.S. security guarantees would probably not be enough to persuade Pyongyang to shut its nuclear program. Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool via REUTERS

RFE: Putin To Brief China On Kim Talks, Says Willing To Share Details With U.S. As Well

Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Beijing to brief Chinese leaders on his just-concluded summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and said he is also willing to share details of the talks with the United States.

North Korean state media on April 26, meanwhile, reported that Kim had invited Putin to Pyongyang "at a convenient time" -- an offer that was “readily accepted,” according to the Korean Central News Agency. No dates were specified.

The moves could raise Moscow’s profile and influence in negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korea’s nuclear program, talks that have failed to bring fruitful results despite two summits between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim.

Read more ....

Update: Putin says he will brief U.S. on summit with Kim (AP)

WNU Editor: I am skeptical that anything new came out of these talks.

Putin - Kim Summit -- News Updates April 25, 2019

CNBC: North Korea wants to denuclearize but needs security guarantees, Putin says after Kim talks

* Kim met Putin on an island off the Pacific port city of Vladivostok on Thursday. It is the first time the leaders have met face to face.
* The meeting comes two months after denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang collapsed in Hanoi. For Russia, the meeting was seen as a way to show the world that Russia can be a global power broker.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wants to denuclearize but needs “security guarantees” to do so.

Speaking after a high-profile summit with Kim, Putin said Russia favored denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and Kim agreed, but said bilateral security guarantees were not enough.

Putin said he didn’t know if it was time to resume six-way talks with North Korea to end a standoff over its nuclear weapons program. The “six-party talks” had taken place between North and South Korea, the U.S., Japan, Russia and China in the early 2000s, but collapsed in 2009 when North Korea pulled out, saying it would resume its nuclear enrichment program in order to boost its nuclear deterrent.

Read more ....

Putin - Kim Summit -- News Updates April 25, 2019

The Latest: Putin, Kim shake hands before start of talks -- FOX News/AP
Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un hold first summit: Live Updates -- CNN
Putin: NKorea’s Kim ready to denuclearize, with conditions -- AP
Putin says U.S. guarantees unlikely to prompt North Korea to de-nuclearize -- Reuters
Putin says North Korea wants to denuclearize with 'security guarantees' -- The Hill
Putin says North Korea needs ‘security guarantees’ in return for denuclearisation -- France 24
After Meeting Kim, Putin Advocates Phased Denuclearization Approach -- VOA
Never mind the substance, here's the visuals: Putin summit a win for Kim -- AFP
Putin and Kim give each other same gift… a sword (PHOTO, VIDEO) -- RT
Clinking glasses & swapping swords: Watch highlights from Kim's summit with Putin (VIDEOS) -- RT

North Korean Leader Kim Jng Un Arrives In Vladivostok For Summit With Russian President Putin

CNN: Kim Jong Un arrives in Vladivostok ahead of first meeting with Putin

Vladivostok, Russia (CNN)North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in the Russian city of Vladivostok ahead of his planned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russian state television showed Kim stepping out of his green private train at a railway station in the eastern port city, Wednesday afternoon under a leaden sky.

Wearing a black homburg and overcoat, he was greeted at the station by officials and a brass band. Putin was not part of the welcoming committee.

Read more ....

More News On North Korean Leader Kim Jng Un Arriving In Vladivostok For A Summit With Russian President Putin

North Korea’s Kim upbeat as he arrives for Putin summit -- AP
North Korea's Kim arrives in Vladivostok for Putin summit -- France 24
Kim Jong-un arrives in Vladivostok by train for Putin summit -- The Guardian
Kim Jong-un in Russia for Vladimir Putin summit -- BBC
North Korea's Kim arrives for summit with Russia's Putin -- Reuters
Kim arrives in Vladivostok, Russia for FIRST EVER summit with Putin -- RT
North Korean leader hopes to discuss Korean settlement issue with Putin -- TASS
Russia's Putin meets North Korea's Kim: Side-show or power move in nuclear crisis? -- DW
Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un to meet for first time since failed Trump talks — here's what we know -- ABC News Online
Kim Jong-un in Russia – in pictures -- The Guardian

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un To Meet Russian President Putin this Week

A combination of file photos shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attending a wreath laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam March 2, 2019 and Russia's President Vladimir Putin looking on during a joint news conference with South African President Jacob Zuma after their meeting at the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Krasnodar region, Russia, May 16, 2013. REUTERS/Jorge Silva/Pool/Maxim Shipenkov/Pool

AFP: N. Korea's Kim heads to Russia to revive old friendship

On the neighbouring mound to Mansu hill, where giant statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il look out over North Korea's capital, stands the Liberation Tower.

The star-topped stone obelisk has a bronze Soviet Union flag at its base and and a panel showing Soviet and Korean troops going into battle together against the Japanese.

The ties between Pyongyang and Moscow, once its most important ally, go back decades. And after years of abeyance, current leader Kim Jong Un -- the son and grandson of the chiefs immortalised on Mansu hill -- is looking to revive links with nuclear negotiations with Washington deadlocked and as he seeks a counterbalance to China.

Kim is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok this week, reportedly on Wednesday and Thursday.

Read more ....

More News On North Korean Leader  Kim Jong Un Summit With  Russian President Putin

Kim-Putin: North Korean and Russian leaders 'to meet for first time' -- BBC
North Korea's Kim to meet Putin at crucial diplomatic moment -- FOX News/AP
North Korea confirms leader Kim Jong Un to visit Russia for summit with Putin -- Reuters
Kim to meet with Putin as tensions with US rise -- The Hill
Russia's Putin, North Korea's Kim on track to meet by end of April: Kremlin -- Reuters
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Will Meet With Vladimir Putin -- Bloomberg
Kim Jong Un to meet with Putin in Russia -- Politico
Kim uses Putin as leverage for denuclearization talks with US -- Nikkei Asian Review
Planning for a Putin-Kim Summit: What’s Likely to Be on the Agenda -- 38 North

Russian Presdient Putin Will Meet North Korea's Kim Jong-un At The End Of April

TASS: Putin to meet with Kim Jong-un in Russia in second half of April

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said earlier that Kim Jong-un might visit Russia next week

MOSCOW, April 18. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will hold a meeting in Russia before the end of the month, the Kremlin said in a statement published on its website.

"Vladimir Putin will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Kim Jong-un will make a visit to Russia in the second half of April at Vladimir Putin’s invitation," the statement reads.

Various options for a summit were under discussion in 2018, including a meeting on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Russia’s Far Eastern city of Vladivostok in September 2018 but the parties were unable to arrange a Putin-Kim meeting at the time. However, Russian authorities have stated on many occasions they are ready to welcome the North Korean leader at any time convenient for him.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's will be pushing to have access to Russian energy supplies. Russian President Putin will be in China on April 26-27, so their meeting will probably be held in Vladivostok before or after these dates.

More News On Russian President Putin Meeting North Korea's Kim Jong-un At The End Of April

Kremlin says Kim Jong Un will visit Russia this month -- AP
North Korea leader Kim to meet Russia's Putin this month: Kremlin -- Reuters
Putin will meet North Korea's Kim Jong-un towards the end of April -- Euronews
Putin to meet with Kim Jong-un in Russia in 2nd half of April – Kremlin -- RT

Is North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Planning A Trip To Russia?

Newsweek: Kim Jong Un Plans Trip to Russia After Meeting With Donald Trump Falls Apart

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may soon make an official visit to Russia, a Russian official who recently led a government delegation to North Korea, announced on Monday.

Oleg Melnichenko said Russia had formally invited Kim to visit Moscow last year and that the invitation was still being considered. “To date, I think that everything remains in the consultations mode. This issue was not specially discussed during our visit, but it will likely happen in the near future," he told reporters on Monday, shortly after his return to Russia from North Korea.

Russia sent a delegation to North Korea less than one month after President Donald Trump’s landmark meeting with Kim in Vietnam fell apart without a deal on North Korea’s denuclearization. Russian state television highlighted the lack of results that came out of that meeting, and Russian officials have since been moving to cement their ties with the rogue nation.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The Kremlin is saying that he will be coming .... one day. What's my take. I do not see a trip happening in the near future.

Did Russia Make An Offer To North Korea To Solve Its Nuclear Crisis?

Reuters

National Interest/Stratfor Worldview: Does Russia Have a Plan to Solve the North Korea Nuclear Crisis?

Some think so.

What Happened: The Russian government reportedly made a secret proposal to North Korea in the fall of 2018 to construct a nuclear power plant in the country in exchange for North Korea dismantling its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, The Washington Post reported Jan. 29, citing unnamed U.S. officials. The Russian envoy to North Korea, meanwhile, denied the report.

Why It Matters: Russia's alleged offer would imply attempts to insert itself into the negotiation process over North Korea's nuclear program. U.S. President Donald Trump is slated to hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in late February.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Russia shares a border with North Korea. But solving its nuclear energy headaches is not in the cards.

Russian President Putin Is To Meet North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un 'Soon'

Channel News Asia/AFP: Putin ready to meet North Korea's Kim at 'early date': KCNA

SEOUL: Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "at an early date", the North's state media reported on Wednesday (Aug 15), amid a rapid diplomatic thaw on the peninsula.

Putin invited Kim and the South's President Moon Jae-in in June to an economic forum in Vladivostok next month although it is not known whether the North Korean leader responded to the invitation.

Read more ....

Update: Vladimir Putin ready to meet Kim Jong-un to discuss 'urgent issues', says North Korean state media (The Independent)

WNU Editor: It looks like Chinese President Xi is also going to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un soon .... Xi Jinping Looks Set to Visit Kim Jong-un (Weekly Standard).

Update #2: It also looks like the US Secretary of State is going to past by .... Pompeo may be returning to Pyongyang soon (Korea Joong Ang Daily)

U.S. - North Korean Talks Have Made China And Russia Feel Left Out

© REUTERS / Jonathan Ernst

Sputnik: China, Russia May Have Misgivings Over Trump-Kim Deal, Analysts Say

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Pyongyang and most of its neighbors will likely benefit the most from the US-North Korea rapprochement if it truly leads to regional stability although China may see it as a possible strategic setback and Russia may feel left out in the cold, analysts told Sputnik.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met at the summit in Singapore and committed the United States and North Korea to establishing new bilateral relations and building a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Trump and Kim signed an agreement at the end of a bilateral summit outlining the two countries’ commitment to work towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The US president gave North Korea security assurances and indicated he would suspend military drills with South Korea, if Pyongyang gives up its nuclear development program.

Read more ....

WNU Editor:  This is one of those weird situations where China and Russia are in the loop on what is happening with North Korea, but they no longer have the influence and clout that they once had over the Hermit Kingdom. This is going to take some time for both Beijing and Moscow to get use to .... that Pyongyang will no longer be solely dependent on them for its well-being. But I predict that the bigger shock will be in Pyongyang itself .... when Kim and his government realize (if not already)  that they do not need to be dependent on just China and Russia .... that there are many other countries who are eager to open a new page with North Korea if they should decide to take it. I always say that if you can easily diversify your business into other products .... your company will succeed. The same can be said about international relations. Diversifying your international political relations can only bring benefits .... and on multiple levels. But you have to take that step to accomplish it. North Korea decided early this year to take that step. I can only hope that everuyone succeeds.

Is Russia Trying To Derail The Korean Peace Process?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (left) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meet in Pyongyang on May 31.

Konstantin Eggert, DW: Kremlin courts North Korea to thwart Donald Trump

Donald Trump has made progress with North Korea's regime. In the spirit of Cold War II, the Kremlin will use every opportunity to complicate the US's North Korea policy, Russian journalist Konstantin Eggert writes.

At the end of 2017, one of the Russian research centers that regularly supply state institutions with recommendations sent Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the Kremlin a set of proposals aimed at reviving relations with the US, a reliable diplomatic source told me.

The proposals included intensifying dialogue on Ukraine and initiating contact to agree on mutual guarantees against cyberattacks, as well as helping Donald Trump in his outreach to North Korea. The experts argued that the US president, who is constantly criticized for everything he does, would be grateful for any support that would enable him to achieve at least some success in the international arena. And, because decreasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula is fully compatible with Russia's long-term interests, why not try this out?

Read more ....

Previous Post: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Meets North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un (May 31, 2018)
Previous Post: President Trump Says He Did Not Like Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Meeting With North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un Yesterday (June 1, 2018).

WNU Editor: In the past .... Russia did have the clout to influence North Korean policy and actions. Today ....I am not sure. Having Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov go to Pyongyang and tell North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to "not make any unilateral concessions on scrapping your nuclear and ballistic missile programs until the Trump administration starts lifting sanctions on North Korea" is something that  I am sure Kim Jong-un has heard from everyone in the past few months. But advice costs nothing .... and I sense that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wants something more than the status quo or helping the Russians to stick it to President Trump.

Russia Feels Left Out On What Is Happening On The Korean Peninsula

Kim Jong Un shakes hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Russian Foreign Ministry

L. Todd Wood, Washington Times: Russia frets as Trump orchestrates the mother of all deals

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was in Pyongyang Thursday, greeted with much fanfare on his way to talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. It’s a little drop-by that reveals many things about Russia, its priorities in Northeast Asia and its approach to the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

A hallmark of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy has been to re-establish Russia as a player on the world stage, a nation to be respected and reckoned with in global affairs. With President Trump pushing the parties forward for peace in Korea, there is no way the Kremlin could allow the U.S. president to get all the glory, or walk off with that Nobel Peace Prize.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The above commentator believes that President Trump is on the verge of making a deal on North Korea, and that Russia is trying to at least give the appearance of being involved. I personally believe that it is still too early to predict where the Korean peace process is going .... and as for Russia .... yes .... they have been disengaged from what is happening on the Korean peninsula, and they are trying to get back into the "game".

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Meets North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un

TASS: Kim Jong-un: North Korea highly values Russia's course for opposing US dominance

Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Pyongyang shows that Moscow pays much attention to the development of relations with Pyongyang, the North Korean leader said

PYONGYANG, May 31. /TASS/. North Korea highly values the Russian government’s course, in particular that of President Vladimir Putin, for countering the US’ dominance, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said at a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday. The footage of the meeting was published on YouTube.

"The situation on the Korean Peninsula is changing in accordance with the requirements of the interests of the two countries’ [North and South Korea] nations. I highly value the fact that Putin’s administration strictly opposes the US’ dominance," Kim Jong-un stressed. "You strictly oppose, and we are always ready to conduct negotiations and a profound exchange of opinions with the Russian side on this issue."

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The Kremlin is out of the loop on what is happening on the Korean peninsula. This Lavrov - Kin Jong-un meeting should have happened two or three months ago.

More News On Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Meeting North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un

Lavrov to Kim: Russia Ready to Assist in Implementation of Koreas' Agreements -- Sputnik
Russia Sends Top Diplomat to Meet North Korea as Trump Meeting Uncertain -- Newsweek
Russia invites Kim Jong-Un to visit as talks to get North Korea's summit with US back on track continue -- Mirror
Russia foreign minister arrives for talks in North Korea -- FOX News/AP
Lavrov meets Kim in Pyongyang, gifts him ‘box for secrets’ (PHOTO, VIDEO) -- RT

Russian Foreign Minister Admit's That He Does Not Understand North Korea's Position

TASS: Lavrov expects visit to Pyongyang to help understand North Korea’s position

The Russian top diplomat will make a visit to Pyongyang on Thursday, May 31

MOSCOW, May 30. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expects that his upcoming visit to Pyongyang will help him understand North Korea’s attitude to the Korean Peninsula issue, as he himself said at the Primakov Readings conference on Wednesday.

"This visit, just like any other, is aimed at discussing bilateral relations with our partners, as well as the situation in the region," Lavrov noted. "I received an invitation and was glad to accept it. It will be useful for me to understand our North Korean neighbors’ attitude to all the issues [concerning the Korean Peninsula]," he added.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: You can take this one to the bank. The Russian Foreign Minister is not the only one who does not understand North Korea.

More News On The Russian Foreign Minister's Trip to North Korea On May 31

Russia's top diplomat to visit North Korea on May 31 -- TASS
Lavrov to visit N. Korea on May 31, says denuclearization should have security guarantees -- RT
Ultimatums, Pressure Policies in N Korean Situation Destined to Fail - Lavrov -- Sputnik
North Korea says Russian foreign minister to visit North Korea soon: KCNA -- Reuters
Russia says Lavrov to visit North Korea on May 31 -- Reuters
Russia Sends Top Diplomat to Meet North Korea as Trump Meeting Uncertain -- Newsweek
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to visit North Korea on Thursday to discuss nuclear stand-off and bilateral ties -- SCMP

Did Former Soviet Scientists Secretly Sell Missile Designs To North Korea?

Military vehicles carry missiles with characters reading 'Pukkuksong' during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of country's founding father, Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang, April 15, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Daily Mail: North Korea's nuclear advance is thanks to RUSSIAN scientists secretly selling Cold War missile designs after the fall of the Soviet Union

* After collapse of Soviet Union, Russia was looking to exploit missile technology
* A joint venture with the Americans failed so they looked to sell to North Korea
* Scientists from a Russian design bureau believed to have made it to Pyongyang
* North Korea's ­Hwasong rocket strikingly similar to Soviet era submarine missile

North Korea was able to develop a ballistic missile with advanced technology acquired from Russia, new documents have revealed.

The secretive state announced on November 29 that it had tested an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) capable of reaching all of the mainland of the United States, prompting fresh sanctions against Kim Jong-un's regime.

It has now been claimed that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia sold the technology that it used to develop its own ICBM force to Pyongyang.

Read more ....

Update #1: Documents shed light on North Korea's startling gains in sea-based missile technology -- Washington Post
Update #2: How Russia Is Helping North Korea Build the Bombs That Could Start World War III -- Newsweek

WNU Editor: If true .... that Russian experts and engineers helped in the development of North Korea's missile program after the fall of the Soviet Union .... the question that then needs to be asked is why did it take so long to perfect the technology. This post from The Hindustan Times has a good explanation ....

.... “The question that has long been raised is: Did North Korea get this technology from a (Russian) fire sale?” David Wright, a missiles expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists, was quoted as saying. “Did they get plans years ago and are just now at the point where they can build these things?”
Ads by ZINC

The Post reported that some of the evidence is circumstantial — in 1993, around 60 Russian nuclear scientists were arrested as they attempted to travel to Pyongyang to work as consultants, and they acknowledged to investigators that they had been recruited as a group to assist North Korea in building rockets. Intelligence agencies later concluded that some may have succeeded in their plan.

However, other evidence is more damning. Experts say North Korea’s Hwasong-10, a single-stage missile tested in June 2016, appears to use the same engine and many design features as the Soviet R-27 Zyb.

It is unknown why it has taken the country so long to reproduce these missiles, but experts say North Korea has “long lacked the sophisticated materials, engineering expertise and computer-driven machine tools for the kinds of advanced missiles it has recently tested”, the report said.

Is This The Reason Why South Korea Wants Russian President Putin At The Olympic Games?

© Sputnik/ Aleksey Nikolskyi

Sputnik: Guarantor of Olympic Peace: South Korea Wants Putin in Pyeongchang

The IOC’s decision to ban Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea could dash Seoul’s hopes to use President Vladimir Putin’s presence at the Games as a means of preventing any possible confrontation with North Korea, local media reports say.

Many South Koreans worry that the loss of Russian spectators at the Games could be a big blow to the Winter Olympics, which have historically attracted fewer attendees than the Summer Games. Even more importantly, without Putin in attendance the new South Korean government would find it hard to try to mend fences with Pyongyang.

Russia’s absence at the Games would be a blow to the Olympics of Peace concept promoted by South Korean President Moon Jae-in who believes that support from Russia, which has close ties with Pyongyang, is absolutely indispensable.

Read more ....

WNU Editor:  I doubt that the North Koreans are going to do something stupid during the winter Olympics in South Korea. But I can understand the sentiment that maybe having Putin there would make some people feel comfortable that maybe nothing bad will happen.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Says North Korea Is Open To Direct Talks With The U.S.

The Independent: North Korea open to direct talks with US, says Russia

Russia says North Korea wants 'security guarantees'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said North Korea is open to direct talks with the US and passed that message on to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Russian news agencies reported that while speaking at a summit in Vienna, Austria Mr Lavrov noted the talks would likely be contingent on “security guarantees.”

“We know that North Korea wants above all to talk to the United States about guarantees for its security. We are ready to support that, we are ready to take part in facilitating such negotiations,” Mr Lavrov said.

Read more ....

Update #1: Russia says North Korea is ready for direct nuclear talks with the US (The Telegraph)
Update #2: Russia Says North Korea Wants to Talk to US, But Are Trump and Kim Ready? (Newsweek)

WNU Editor: Russia's ability to influence North Korea is minimal at best .... Russia says ready to exert influence on North Korea: Ifax (Reuters). China is the only country that has real influence on North Korea, and it is the intermediary that the U.S. is using. But North Korea told the Chinese emissary that was sanctioned to resolve this crisis to go and take a hike .... The Recent Chinese - North Korean Atempt To Resolve The Current Crisis Was A Bust (November 25, 2017). More here .... North Korea Snubs China By Sending President Xi's Special Envoy Back To Beijing Without Even Meeting North Korean Leader Kim Kong-un (November 21, 2017). Bottom line .... North Korea is not interested in having talks to resolve the current crisis.

Head of Russia’s Security Council: Russia Is Prepared For A North Korea War

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev looks at President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with the BRICS countries' senior officials in charge of security matters at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 26, 2015. Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters

Newsweek: Russia Is Preparing for North Korea War as Tensions Rise, Says Putin's Top Security Adviser

Russia is making preparations in case the diplomatic crisis around North Korea’s nuclear testing escalates into a fully fledged armed conflict, the head of Moscow’s Security Council said on Friday.

North Korea and the U.S. have threatened each other with war over Pyongyang’s decision to defy international appeals and continue developing nuclear weapons. Russia and China, who have provided trade lifelines to a globally isolated regime in North Korea, have also opposed its weapons program but have been reluctant to back either side in the war posturing.

Read more ....

Update #1: Russia Calls U.S. Threat to Destroy North Korea a 'Bloodthirsty Tirade' (US News and World Report/Reuters).
Update #2: Russian Lawmakers in North Korea During ICBM Test Say Pyongyang ‘Morally Ready’ for War (Epoch Times)

WNU Editor: Aside from all the Kremlin propaganda that Moscow can play a role in solving the Korean crisis .... bottom line .... they have very little influence on Kim Jong-un. The country that has the clout is China, and if they cannot succeed in influencing North Korean leader Kim Jung-un .... there is not chance that Putin will be able to pull a rabbit out of this hat.

Russian Foreign Minister: U.S. Threat To Destroy North Korea A 'Bloodthirsty Tirade'

Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with his Italian counterpart Angelino Alfano in Rome, Italy December 1, 2017. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

Reuters: Russia calls U.S. threat to destroy North Korea a 'bloodthirsty tirade'

ROME (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that a U.S. threat to destroy North Korea in the event of a war was "a bloodthirsty tirade" and military action against Pyongyang would be a big mistake.

Speaking on a visit to Italy, Lavrov strongly condemned comments made by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who earlier this week warned North Korea's leadership it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out after Pyongyang test fired its most advanced missile.

"If someone really wants to use force to, as the U.S. representative to the United Nations put it, destroy North Korea ...then I think that is playing with fire and a big mistake," Lavrov told reporters.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: If North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was continuously declaring his intention to destroy Moscow and Saint Petersburg with nuclear weapons .... I can guarantee this .... Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would be singing a very different tune.

Russia Accuses U.S. Of Goading North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un

© REUTERS/ Yuri Gripas

BBC: North Korea: Russia accuses US of goading Kim Jong-un

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused the US of seeking to provoke North Korea into stepping up its nuclear missile programme.

He rejected a call by the American envoy to the UN Security Council to sever ties with the North after its latest ballistic missile test.

Russia argues sanctions do not work and advocates negotiations instead.

The US has warned that North Korea's government will be "utterly destroyed" if war breaks out.

On Wednesday, the North tested its first missile in two months, saying the continental US was now within striking distance.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Kim Jong Un has been pushing his nuclear program hard-core long before President Trump even announced himself as a candidate for President two years ago. Lavrov's blaming President Trump for North Korea's nuclear program is a big stretch.

More News On Russia Accusing The U.S. Of Goading North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un

US should come clean if it’s looking for pretext to destroy N. Korea – Russian FM Lavrov -- RT
Kremlin warns against severing ties with North Korea -- TASS
US Continues to Provoke North Korea - Lavrov -- Sputnik
North Korea: Russia accuses US of provoking Kim Jong-un 'to fly off handle' -- ABC News Online
Russia Accuses U.S. of Trying to Provoke North Korean Leader 'To Fly off Handle' -- US News and World Report/Reuters
Russia accuses US of deliberately provoking North Korea -- CNBC
Russia rejects US call to cut ties with North Korea -- Al Jazeera