US President Donald Trump said he was expecting a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing hope for his Russian counterpart's assistance in dealing with North Korean issue.
"I think it’s expected we’ll meet with Putin, yeah. We want Putin’s help on North Korea, and we’ll be meeting with a lot of different leaders," Trump told his travel pool.
He defended his harsh rhetoric on DPRK aboard Air Force One en route to Japan, where Trump starts his 12-day Asian trip, adding that discussions on North Korea will figure in talks with other Asian leaders.
Earlier, Kremlin spokesman said that the leaders of Russia and the United States would likely discuss the North Korean crisis during the possible meeting as Russia and the United States so far haven't coordinated their actions regarding Pyongyang.
The US president begins his five-stop tour. He plans to travel to China, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam, which will host Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings next week.
