The rhetoric coming from Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea Chairman Kim Jong Un following their meeting to discuss denuclearization was not provocative, and that could potentially help the process, Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., said Thursday.
"This is something that is beyond a bilateral issue," Rep. Zeldin told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "Throughout this entire process, the United States has said that all the good options are on the table including China. Russia is also a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council."
In August 2017, the Security Council unanimously voted to cut more than one-third of North Korean exports, including with Russia's vote, so having Moscow involved in the denuclearization process is nothing new, Zeldin added.
"I think the way the rhetoric that has come from today's meeting in Russia is one that could potentially help the process with good communication between all parties seeking a verifiable total denuclearization of North Korea," Zeldin said.
Putin said Thursday that Kim is ready to proceed toward denuclearization, but he needs solid security guarantees to proceed.
"The United States wants a deal with North Korea," Zeldin said. "North Korea wants it even worse. The sanctions, the maximum pressure campaign have been working on North Korea."
Kim also wants to protect North Korea's interests and protect himself, Zeldin added.
"He is known to be homicidal but not suicidal," Zeldin said. "He will talk to some neighboring countries and hopefully [they] will assist with putting this pressure on Kim Jong Un to understand that this is a deal that needs to be cut."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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