MOSCOW. June 6 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has described U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to have a face-to-face with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a very brave and mature decision.
"But I still hope that this meeting - a very brave and mature decision US President Donald Trump has made, to have direct contacts with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un - will take place, and we all expect a positive outcome," Putin told the China Media Group in an interview shortly before his visit to China.
Putin will pay a state visit to China on June 8 and attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on June 9 and 10.
"It is a pity that our Western partners, the United States and, unfortunately, South Korea have not stopped their military exercises and maneuvers that do nothing to aid de-escalation," he said.
Speaking of positive expectations from the Trump-Kim meeting, Putin said, "the roadmap I have mentioned, the Russian-Chinese roadmap, has points on the settlement process in North Korea, the next phase of which is promoting relations between all the counties responsible for this de-escalation."
"We will all be eagerly awaiting the outcome of the meeting between US President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and will support it in any way we can," Putin said.