Putin says North Korea doing a lot to disarm but Washington not responding

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that North Korea was taking a lot of steps toward denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula but Washington was not responding and was making endless demands for full disarmament instead.

Washington and Pyongyang have been discussing North Korea’s nuclear program since their leaders met in Singapore in June, though that summit’s outcome was criticized for being short on details about how and whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was willing to give up weapons that threaten the United States.

Putin, speaking at an economic forum in the Russian port city of Vladivostok, said Pyongyang had taken positive steps and was now waiting for a response. He said it was counter-productive if one side did a lot and the other did nothing.

If North Korea does something toward denuclearization it expects reciprocal steps and not endless demands for full disarmament,” said Putin.