President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un resume their summit in Hanoi on Thursday morning local time - after the president's ex-fixer Michael Cohen dominated headlines with his day of bombshell testimony against his former boss.
Trump hailed 'a very special relationship' when he met Kim in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi on Wednesday and said he was satisfied with the pace of talks, despite some criticism they were not moving quickly enough.
'Great meetings' and a 'Very good dialogue,' Trump said on Twitter after dinner with Kim at the French-colonial-era Metropole hotel while the White House said the two planned to sign a 'joint agreement' after further talks on Thursday.
The White House has given no indication of what the signing ceremony might involve, although the two sides' discussions have included the possibility of a political statement to declare the 1950-53 Korean War over, which some critics see as premature.
They have also discussed partial denuclearization measures, such as allowing inspectors to observe the dismantling of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear reactor, U.S. and South Korean officials say.
Summit day two: North Korea released this picture of Trump shaking hands with dictator Kim Jong Un on the first day of their talks in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Wednesday
All eyes watching: Michael Cohen's
Greeting: President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un shake hands at the top of their meeting in Hanoi - which was followed by a 'quick dinner'
U.S. concessions could include opening liaison offices or clearing the way for inter-Korean projects, but critics say Trump risks squandering vital leverage if he gives away too much, too quickly.
The Hanoi summit was Trump's second with Kim since an inconclusive meeting in Singapore in June that produced much fanfare but little substance and there had been little sign of concrete progress since.
The U.S. president nevertheless appeared upbeat with Kim even as his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testified at a congressional hearing in Washington, calling Trump a 'conman' who knew in advance about the release of stolen emails aimed at hurting his Democratic rival in the 2016 election campaign.
Facing mounting pressure at home over investigations into Russian meddling in the election, Trump has sought a big win by trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for promises of peace and development, a foreign policy goal that has confounded multiple predecessors.
Trump told Kim on Wednesday he felt the first summit was 'very successful'. 'Some people would like to see it go quicker; I´m satisfied; you´re satisfied, we want to be happy with what we're doing.'
The leaders exchanged views at dinner with the aim of achieving comprehensive and ground-breaking results from their summit, Kim's state news agency KCNA said on Thursday.
'Sincere and in-depth views were exchanged to bring about a comprehensive and groundbreaking outcome,' it said.
The two men had met in the Vietnamese capital in front of a bank of six flags from each nation, for the first meeting for the pair since their historic summit in Singapore in June.
'It's an honor to be with Chairman Kim. It's an honor to be together,' said Trump, who repeatedly praised his counterpart.
The admiration may be mutual. In one remark, Kim praised Trump's 'courageous decision' to open dialogue, according to how his translator recounted it.
In introductory remarks, Trump did much of the talking – and one again dangled the promise of prosperity for North Korea, and addressed critics who noted their initial joint statement was vague and hard to measure.
'It's great to be with you. We had a very successful first summit,' Trump said. 'I felt it was very successful. Some people would like to see it go quicker. I'm satisfied, you're satisfied. We want to be happy with what we're doing.'
'I thought the first summit was a great success, I think this one hopefully will be equal or greater than the first,' the president added.
As he has repeatedly, Trump pointed to personal chemistry with the reclusive leader of the family-led one-party dictatorship – although his secretary of state says North Korea is still a nuclear threat, having tested a hydrogen bomb and months ago conducted a skein of missile tests.
'We made a lot of progress and I think the biggest progress was our relationship is really a good one,' Trump said.
The two leaders smiled as they were seated before dinner
People walk past a TV broadcasting a news report on a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, in Seoul, South Korea, February 27, 2019
Trump repeatedly hailed the personal relationship between the two men
Trump complemented a New York Times photographer in one of many asides to Kim
In a spat with the White House, two reporters who had earlier asked Trump questions were not permitted to witness the start of dinner
Dangling economic enticements that he hopes will persuade Kim to give up nuclear
