Russia welcomes decision to suspend US-South Korean drills - senior diplomat

MOSCOW, June 19. /TASS/. Moscow welcomes the decision to suspend military drills that was announced by the US and South Korea, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said on the sidelines of a Valdai International Discussion Club meeting. "We welcome this decision as a step in the right direction," the senior Russian diplomat noted. On Monday, the Pentagon confirmed to TASS that the United States and South Korea had decided to suspend the Ulchi Freedom Guardian joint drills planned to be held on the Korean Peninsula in August. Trump-Kim meeting A historic meeting between US President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took place in Singapore on June 12. The parties signed a joint document, which particularly says that the US-North Korea summit "was an epochal event of great significance in overcoming decades of tensions and hostilities between the two countries and for the opening up of a new future." The document adds that "President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un commit to implement the stipulations in this joint statement fully and expeditiously." According to the document, Pyongyang "commits to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" in return for US security guarantees. Trump said at a final press conference that the US would suspend joint military drills with South Korea. Read more