Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged the need to ease sanctions on North Korea in return for its denuclearization measures.

Russia's TASS news agency said Putin made this call while speaking in an informal meeting of BRICS leaders in his first engagement at the Group of 20 summit after arriving in Argentina on Friday.

BRICS refers to the five major emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Putin said that progress in Korean Peninsula affairs is positive, but making demands for unilateral concessions from North Korea could scuttle previous agreements.

He said it's important to gradually ease sanctions on Pyongyang in return for the disarmament measures the regime has taken.

Putin's remarks reiterate Moscow's continued stance that the United States and other concerned parties in nuclear negotiations with North Korea should ease sanctions on Pyongyang to correspond with its denuclearization steps.