Trump has "great" talk with Putin over N. Korea, US economy

WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (KUNA) -- US President Donald Trump affirmed on Friday he had a "great" talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin focusing on North Korea and other issues.
The two leaders primarily discussed North Korea, "because we would love to have Russia's help -- very important," Trump told reporters on the White House lawn. The US is urging Russia to help pressure Pyongyang to reign in its nuclear program, after the Hermit Kingdom recently test-fired a ballistic missile capable of hitting the US mainland.
"We're going to see what happens with North Korea. We have a lot of support. We hope it works out," Trump said.
During their phone conversation, Putin praised the US economy, which has continued to grow since Trump took office. The President noted he also "said some negative things in terms of what's going on elsewhere," declining to offer further details.
Earlier this week, two US fighter jets intercepted two Russian jets over Syria, firing warning flare the pair reportedly crossed into US-designated airspace, nearly leading to a mid-air collision, according to the Pentagon. However, Russia's Defense Ministry denied the claims. (end) hy.bs