U. S. President Donald Trump gestures toward the meeting site with North Korea leader Kim Jong Un at the Capella resort on Sentosa Island Tuesday, June 12, 2018 in Singapore. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (Associated Press) 
 
 SINGAPORE (AP) — The Latest on the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump in Singapore (all times local): 
 
 9:55 a.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump says that his one-on-one meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was "very, very good" and that the two have an "excellent relationship." (June 12) AP 
 
 Trump and Kim chatted amiably out of earshot as they walked into the building for the private meeting that preceded a full bilateral conference that included aides and advisers. Still, Trump claimed success by saying that "we had a really fantastic meeting" at a resort hotel that went "better than anybody could have expected, top of the line, really good." Fox News says the interview will take place Tuesday at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island in Singapore. During a pre-summit tweet storm, Trump denounced "haters & losers" who said he should not have granted Kim — an autocrat accused of having political rivals killed — the prestige of a presidential meeting without more North Korean concessions. Citing the return of American hostages and a suspension of North Korean nuclear testing, Trump said that "these pundits, who have called me wrong from the beginning, have nothing else they can say! Trump is tweeting hours before the leaders' historic face-to-face that, "Meetings between staffs and representatives are going well and quickly." We will all know soon whether or not a real deal, unlike those of the past, can happen!" The two leaders began the meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Singapore time — prime time Monday back in the USA. In the past, North Korea has said it would include a withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Korea and a pullback of the U.S. nuclear umbrella that covers the Korean region. As reporters yelled questions during the photo op, Trump told Kim, "The press, they never stop." This week, the president said he looked forward to getting to know his new negotiating partner. Trump is expected to return to the White House on Wednesday morning. For his part, Kim said he and Trump have "decided to leave the past behind." Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which the Obama administration had reached with Iran, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia.  CLOSE President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shake hands as they meet for the first time in Singapore. More: Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un to meet alone at Singapore summit 
 
 Also: Donald Trump thinks G-7 flap will help with Kim Jong Un; others aren't so sure 
 
 Related: Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un: Still fighting the Korean War 
 
 Described by his critics as a mini-Stalin, Kim was on something of a charm offensive in Singapore after arriving Sunday. More: Dennis Rodman on CNN: 'I got so many death threats' after trip to North Korea 
 
 Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2sQkwbz Trump and aides said they did not expect the summit to generate a comprehensive nuclear deal; they instead looked to set up a process to negotiate an agreement in which North Korea gives up nuclear weapons in exchange for economic assistance from the United States and other countries.
– The big moment arrived: President Trump and Kim Jong Un—two leaders who were exchanging military threats and personal insults not too long ago—met face-to-face and shook hands, then had a private meeting of about 40 minutes in Singapore that left Trump predicting big progress on the nuclear issue. "By working together, we will get it taken care of," he said. The initial greeting was a friendly one, with Trump grasping the arm of his fellow world leader during the handshake. (See the video.) "We will have a terrific relationship," Trump told reporters shortly after the greeting, reports USA Today. Kim, for his part, said "it has not been easy to get here," adding that "the old prejudices and practices worked as obstacles, but we have overcome them and we are here today," per the Guardian. After the ceremonial introduction, the two men met with only their interpreters in tow, then walked together along a balcony as they headed to a larger meeting with aides. Trump told reporters from the balcony that the meeting was "very, very good" and predicted he and Kim "will solve a big problem, a big dilemma," reports the AP. It was difficult to hear the two men, but the AP adds that Kim appeared to agree with the optimism. White House officials have been downplaying the idea that a major breakthrough will result from the historic meeting on Sentosa Island. Instead, the big hope is that the summit will lead to a blueprint for negotiators from both countries to follow that would lead to denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. In return, North Korea wants a guarantee from the US that it won't try to overthrow the regime.