Trump cancels summit with North Korea's Kim, warns that military ready

By David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick

 

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable on immigration and the gang MS-13 at the Morrelly Homeland Security Center in Bethpage, New York, U.S., May 23, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday called off a historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un scheduled for next month, citing Pyongyang's "open hostility," and warned that the U.S. military was ready in the event of any reckless acts by North Korea.

 

Trump wrote a letter to Kim to announce his abrupt withdrawal from what would have been the first-ever meeting between a serving U.S. president and a North Korean leader in Singapore on June 12.

 

"Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it would be inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting," Trump wrote.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable on immigration and the gang MS-13 at the Morrelly Homeland Security Center in Bethpage, New York, U.S., May 23, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

 

It was a dramatic end to weeks of optimistic statements from Trump that by meeting with Kim he might succeed where previous U.S. presidents had failed and persuade North Korea to give up a nuclear weapons programme that now threatens the United States.

 

On Wednesday evening Washington time, North Korea had repeated its threat to pull out of the summit and warned it was prepared for a nuclear showdown with Washington if necessary.

 

White House officials said that statement in which Pyongyang also condemned U.S. Vice President Mike Pence as a "political dummy" was "the last straw."

 

One senior official said there had been "a trail of broken promises" from North Korea "that has given the United States pause." That included the North Koreans not showing up to a planned meeting in Singapore last week.

 

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who met Kim twice in Pyongyang, said North Korea had not responded to contacts in recent days and Trump had made his decision after meetings on Wednesday in which he concluded the summit would not be successful.

 

"We got a lot of dial tones," Pompeo said, adding it was disappointing but "frankly not a surprise."

 

Speaking at the White House, Trump said he remained open to dialogue but had spoken to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and warned North Korea against any "reckless act."

 

He said U.S. allies South Korea and Japan also were ready to shoulder much of the financial burden "if an unfortunate situation is forced upon us" by North Korea.

 

'WE'LL SEE'

Asked if the summit cancellation increased the risk of war, Trump replied: "We'll see what happens."

 

He said the United States would continue its "maximum pressure" campaign of sanctions to press North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.

 

Trump's move sent global share markets sharply lower before they regained some footing. Safe-haven buying of U.S. Treasury bonds pushed their yields lower, while the dollar weakened.

 

The outlook for the meeting soured dramatically this month when North Korea angrily rejected the notion that it would agree to unilateral nuclear disarmament as Washington has demanded.

 

Trump has said he detected a change in Kim's attitude after the second of two recent visits the North Korean made to China and that he was possibly being influenced by Beijing, with which the United States is embroiled in a major trade dispute.

 

The cancellation came just hours after North Korea followed through on a pledge to blow up tunnels at its main nuclear test site, which Pyongyang said was proof of its commitment to end nuclear testing.

 

The senior White House official said that among North Korea's broken promises was one to allow experts to witness the dismantlement of the site, which meant there was no one there to verify what actually occurred. Only a small group of international media handpicked by North Korea witnessed the demolition at the Punggye-ri site.

 

North Korea's announcement of its plan to destroy its only nuclear test site had been widely welcomed as a positive, if largely symbolic, step. Kim has declared his nuclear force complete, amid speculation the site was obsolete anyway.

 

The Pentagon said it was too early to give an assessment, but U.S. officials and experts say the site could be put back into service or re-established elsewhere.

 

SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT 'PERPLEXED'

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who worked hard to help set up the summit and urged Trump at a White House meeting on Tuesday not to let a rare opportunity slip away, said he was "perplexed" by the cancellation. He urged Trump and Kim to talk directly.

 

The reference to Pence that offended the White House came in a statement released by North Korean media citing Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui. She called Pence a "political dummy" for comparing North Korea - a "nuclear weapons state" - to Libya, where Muammar Gaddafi gave up his unfinished nuclear development programme, only to be killed later by NATO-backed fighters.

 

"Whether the U.S. will meet us at a meeting room or encounter us at nuclear-to-nuclear showdown is entirely dependent upon the decision and behaviour of the United States," Choe said.

 

Trump had further raised expectations for a successful summit after North Korea released three Americans this month, which he called in his letter "a beautiful gesture" by Kim.

 

While Trump left the door open for talks with Kim, chances for a quick rescheduling appear remote and the cancellation will renew fears of a return to conflict on the Korean peninsula.

 

Trump's letter also referred to the possibility of war.

 

"You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God that they will never have to be used," he said.

 

North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons prompted fears of war last year after it said it tested an H-bomb and developed a missile capable of hitting the United States.

 

Rhetoric reached new heights under Trump as he mocked Kim as "little rocket man" and threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea if necessary. Kim called Trump mentally deranged.

 

The summit cancellation denies Trump of what supporters hoped could have been a major diplomatic achievement, worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize.

 

It comes at a time when Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal has drawn criticism and his moving of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem has fuelled violence. An investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election hangs over his presidency.

 

Robert Einhorn, a non-proliferation expert at the Brookings Institution, said it seemed Trump realized he would not get assurances from Kim of a willingness to give up its nuclear weapons.

 

"He was, I think, reluctant to go to Singapore and come up short," he said. "This probably was the best choice he could make - much better than having a meeting that would deepen the divisions, lead to angry recriminations and set back any prospect for getting back on track."

 

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing, Joyce Lee and Hyonhee Shin in Seoul, Roberta Rampton, Jeff Mason, Lesley Wroughton, Doina Chiacu, Patricia Zengerle, Justin Mitchell and Arshad Mohammed in Washington and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Writing by David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Mary Milliken, Bill Trott and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-05-25

Does he still get the Nobel prize?

Kim wins. Now nations are going to ease on the sanctions blaming "trump" for the failure in diplomacy. Art of the schlemiel.

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You never know, it could have been a ploy and a gambit on the N. Korean leader to see how far he can play Trump with his fake smiles, handshakes and promises, i'm sure his father and grandfather were turning in their graves thinking the worst that now people will be actually be free to live their lives and real democracy will finally prevail...  

Reuters reports N.K. has now stated wish to go ahead with meeting - ping pong. 

 

IMO the hubris of the Trump Administration is creating enormous risk.

 

 

5 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Kim wins. Now nations are going to ease on the sanctions blaming "trump" for the failure in diplomacy. Art of the schlemiel.

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Nope, Kim is now backtracking. 

 

 

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/north-korea-threatens-nuclear-showdown-090502188.html

Okay, please look at the above article. Basically, a big reason for the collapse in talks is because of stuff that Mike Pence said. Pence actually said "There was some talk about the Libyan model last week, and you know, as the president made clear, this will only end like the Libyan model ended if Kim Jong Un doesn't make a deal," .


What type of message did this send to Kim ?  Libya did not have nukes, and Gaddafi was killed. Kim has got nukes, and Kim is being told that he's going to get removed, unless he gives up his nukes.

24 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Does he still get the Nobel prize?

Yes he does for being the biggest clown in the white house

Does this mean Swamp King won't be getting a Nobel Peace prize? lol lol lol  Instead I hope he gets a nice padded cell. 

This is both a good and a bad thing.

 

This is a good thing as it has become clear, or perhaps more clear, that the summit meeting was not going to produce desired results, and when a summit of leaders does not produce the desired results, there is no where else to go. Better that it be cancelled rather than have a failure.

 

This is a bad thing as dealing with N Korea is such an impossibility that I was coming around (and still am) to the idea that perhaps Trump could deal with Kim Von Fat Boy. At this time twenty years ago, I was sitting in a classroom doing my Masters degree and we were discussing how one could deal with N Korea. Conventional means simply don't work; as much as I have a low opinion of Trump, I was and am willing to give him a shot. Unless someone has a better idea...?

 

I think this also demonstrates the danger of electing an American President who essentially does not have any experience. Yes, some people believe that Trump's business dealings and skills are transferable to the Presidency/Politics, but I do not. And, I do not see any evidence to support a claim that they do.

 

I would hope that the S Koreans and the Americans continue their efforts. There HAS been some progress made, and if the professionals are allowed to do their thing for a while, perhaps there can be enough progress to merit a summit in the future.

 

The alternative is to leave a loser maniac with nukes all by himself to stew....

 

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Kim wins. Now nations are going to ease on the sanctions blaming "trump" for the failure in diplomacy. Art of the schlemiel.

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Why would they? What has changed? He's still threatening his neighbors and the US with nuclear armed ballistic missiles. That was what the sanctions were imposed with regard to and that has not changed. More likely, he turns up the heat on China.

Edited May 25, 20188 yr by lannarebirth

54 minutes ago, tonbridgebrit said:

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/north-korea-threatens-nuclear-showdown-090502188.html

Okay, please look at the above article. Basically, a big reason for the collapse in talks is because of stuff that Mike Pence said. Pence actually said "There was some talk about the Libyan model last week, and you know, as the president made clear, this will only end like the Libyan model ended if Kim Jong Un doesn't make a deal," .


What type of message did this send to Kim ?  Libya did not have nukes, and Gaddafi was killed. Kim has got nukes, and Kim is being told that he's going to get removed, unless he gives up his nukes.

 

Right, that's the deal on offer. Give up your nukes, live, country prospers. Don't give them up and we'll force you to in the manner of our choosing. This isn't a negotiation between equals of similar standing.

NK is now free to negotiate with SK with the backing of China and without the interference of the US.

 

US influence and power in the region significantly deminnished.

 

China wins at US loss created by Trump.

19 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

NK is now free to negotiate with SK with the backing of China and without the interference of the US.

 

US influence and power in the region significantly deminnished.

 

China wins at US loss created by Trump.

 

Uh huh. You really think they're going to do that? Remember it was South Korea that was making the pitch to the US that North Korea was willing to give up all its nukes, which apparently, they are not. What's SK's upside in your scenario?

Latest news is that the meeting will take place after it appears Kim was out-bluffed by DJT. 

Bolton wanted to derail it......thats why he mentioned Libya.

....'civilization'....and 'democracy'........the worldwide bully system....and the military industrial complex...

 

 

9 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

 

Uh huh. You really think they're going to do that? Remember it was South Korea that was making the pitch to the US that North Korea was willing to give up all its nukes, which apparently, they are not. What's SK's upside in your scenario?

You should visit SK, there is significant and growing popular pressure to get the US off the peninsula, added to which China is fast becoming the trusted international partner of choice.

 

It is not at all unlikely that this whole episode has been managed by China and NK to expose US weakness.

 

Even if no such Chinese/NK plot exists, US diplomatic weakness has been exposed.

1 minute ago, lionsincity said:

Bolton wanted to derail it......thats why he mentioned Libya.

 

What do you imagine is the "middle ground" solution between crippling sanctions and Kim giving up his nukes?

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

You should visit SK, there is significant and growing popular pressure to get the US off the peninsula, added to which China is fast becoming the trusted international partner of choice.

 

It is not at all unlikely that this whole episode has been managed by China and NK to expose US weakness.

 

Even if no such Chinese/NK plot exists, US diplomatic weakness has been exposed.

 

I'm not saying the plot doesn't exist. I think it probably does. I just don't think South Korea would be drawn in by it.

1 hour ago, lannarebirth said:

 

Right, that's the deal on offer. Give up your nukes, live, country prospers. Don't give them up and we'll force you to in the manner of our choosing. This isn't a negotiation between equals of similar standing.

Negotiations are a two way street.

 

NK might offer not to do any more nuclear weapon testing, I doubt they’ll give up their weapons.

 

Meanwhile you assume the US controls NK’s access to international acceptance and prosperity.

 

The world has changed and NK is not in the US’s back yard.

 

China!

3 minutes ago, lionsincity said:

Bolton wanted to derail it......thats why he mentioned Libya.

 That's my thinking also.

First they hold the scheduled military exercises knowing very well what the reaction would be, then they tell Kim that they want to do to him what they did to Guadaffy. No One can be that inept.

IMO Trump knows where the investigations are going and hopes  to create an emergency and the condition of " you don't change horses in mid river" .

2 hours ago, UncleTouchyFingers said:

 

Nope, Kim is now backtracking. 

 

 

Kim plays the man-child like a fiddle as does Xi and Putin, two dictators that the bag of pus admires.

Hoping every day that his MacD diet will catch up to him and rid the world of this pest.

Why did anyone even take Trump seriously?  He's a consummate BS artist and lies constantly.  Whatever ends up happening will be despite Trump, not because of him.

 

Trump lies and says nonsense all the time. We need to remember that.

 

"The factors that led to the collapse of the summit were there from the beginning. The only thing that ever seemed remotely promising about it was Trump’s say-so, but Trump’s say-so is meaningless. Not only is he a person who makes factual misstatements and lies, but he’s a person who has gotten ahead in life through extensive use of bullshit, leaving in his wake a trail of broken promises."

2 hours ago, UncleTouchyFingers said:

Nope, Kim is now backtracking. 

 

 

What statement has Kim made that he is now backtracking on?

 

If anything, he's keeping his commitment (with SK) to fully demolish the nuclear test site:

 

N. Korea demolishes nuclear test site as journalists watch

 

"PUNGGYE-RI, North Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made good on his promise to demolish his country’s nuclear test site, which was formally closed in a series of huge explosions Thursday as a small group of foreign journalists watched."

 

I guess making good on promises is backtracking to you?

It’s all been a convenient distraction while Trump screws his base over by signing away regulatory controls over the banks. 

 

Another win for the hyper-wealthy he represents.

BOTH Pence and Bolton made reference to a "Libya" outcome if NK didn't submit. The wording on the memo backing out of the summit sounded like Trump actually had a little hand in writing it. A theme of "schoolyard bully" snaked its way through the whole damned thing.

 

The era of Murikkka's swaggering around like a drunken gorilla making demands to the rest of the world is coming to an end. Alliances are being made around the planet to put this empire to an end - and it needs to be done. Too many senseless wars to further Murikkka's agenda have been outed as a reason for arms sales and installing Rothschild central banks. I hope it's not too late.

13 minutes ago, attrayant said:

 

 

What statement has Kim made that he is now backtracking on?

 

If anything, he's keeping his commitment (with SK) to fully demolish the nuclear test site:

 

N. Korea demolishes nuclear test site as journalists watch

 

"PUNGGYE-RI, North Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made good on his promise to demolish his country’s nuclear test site, which was formally closed in a series of huge explosions Thursday as a small group of foreign journalists watched."

 

I guess making good on promises is backtracking to you?

 

Quote

"North Korea's arbitrary action to dismantle this facility on its own, this is not something that we can believe is part of North Korea's declared aim of denuclearization. It's nothing more than destroying evidence."

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/22/asia/north-korea-destroy-nuclear-site-intl/index.html

9 minutes ago, car720 said:

At last.  Someone with the ability to think.

China is in control of this.

 

Everyone knows China is in control of North Korea's actions. That's not the issue. The issue is what happens next.

Well, guess who benefits more? The Koreans managed a summit which moved the limelight of Washington DC off centre. 

If Trump would not have returned with a deal in his air force one airplane he would have had to face the music; something the North Koreans dont even know how it sounds - go figure!