Russia Claims U.S. Asked for Its Advice in North Korea Talks

Russia claims the United States has sought help from the Kremlin on how to deal with North Korea ahead of a summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un this week. Trump and Kim are expected to meet Wednesday and Thursday in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, also in Hanoi this week, was reported as saying Monday that “the U.S. is even asking our advice, our views on this or that scenario” on how the summit could pan out. Lavrov also said that Russia believes the U.S. should offer Pyongyang “security guarantees” to help a nuclear-disarmament deal to proceed. Meanwhile, The New York Times reports South Korean officials have indicated that Trump and Kim may agree on a joint political statement declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War when they meet. Said Kim Eui-kyeom, a spokesman for South Korean President Moon Jae-in: “We still don’t know exactly what format the end-of-war declaration will take, but there is an ample possibility of North Korea and the United States agreeing to such a declaration.”