On again? Trump says still chance of June 12 North Korea summit

[rooster59]

On again? Trump says still chance of June 12 North Korea summit

By Roberta Rampton and Christine Kim

 

People watch a TV broadcasting a news report on a cancelled summit between the U.S. and North Korea, in Seoul, South Korea, May 25, 2018. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

 

WASHINGTON/SEOUL (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday dangled the possibility that a June 12 summit with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un could still take place, just a day after he cancelled the meeting citing Pyongyang's "open hostility."

 

Trump indicated the summit could be salvaged after welcoming a conciliatory statement from North Korea saying it remained open to talks.

 

"It was a very nice statement they put out," Trump told reporters at the White House. "We'll see what happens - it could even be the 12th.

 

"We're talking to them now. They very much want to do it. We'd like to do it."

 

After years of tension over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme, Kim and Trump agreed this month to hold what would be the first meeting between a serving U.S. president and a North Korean leader. The plan followed months of war threats and insults between the leaders over North Korea's development of missiles capable of reaching the United States.

 

Trump scrapped the meeting, planned for Singapore, in a letter to Kim on Thursday after repeated threats by North Korea to pull out over what it saw as confrontational remarks by U.S. officials demanding unilateral disarmament. Trump cited North Korean hostility in cancelling the summit.

 

In Pyongyang, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan said North Korea's criticisms had been a reaction to American rhetoric and that current antagonism showed "the urgent necessity" for the summit.

 

He said North Korea regretted Trump's decision to cancel and remained open to resolving issues "regardless of ways, at any time."

 

Kim Kye Gwan said North Korea had appreciated Trump having made the bold decision to work towards a summit.

 

"We even inwardly hoped that what is called 'Trump formula' would help clear both sides of their worries and comply with the requirements of our side and would be a wise way of substantial effect for settling the issue," he said.

 

DIPLOMATS AT WORK

 

Trump's latest about-face sent officials scrambling in Washington. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters diplomats were "still at work" and said Trump had just sent a note out on the summit, which could be back on "if our diplomats can pull it off."

 

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Katina Adams declined to give details of any diplomatic contacts but said: "As the president said in his letter to Chairman Kim, dialogue between the two is the only dialogue that matters. If North Korea is serious, then we look forward hearing from them at the highest levels."

 

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters Trump did not want a meeting that was "just a political stunt."

 

"He wants to get something that’s a long-lasting and an actual real solution. And if they are they are ready to do that then ... we’re certainly ready to have those conversations," she said.

 

"If the meeting takes place on June 12, we'll be ready, if it takes place on July 12, we will be ready."

 

Sanders indicated it had yet to be decided whether White House officials would stick to a plan to travel to Singapore in coming days to prepare the summit.

 

North Korea had sharply criticised suggestions by Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, and Vice President Mike Pence that it could share the fate of Libya if it did not swiftly surrender its nuclear arsenal. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was deposed and killed by NATO-backed militants after halting his nascent nuclear programme.

 

"TRUMP FORMULA"

 

Trump had initially sought to placate North Korea, saying he was not pursuing the "Libya model" and Sanders said he was following "the President Trump model."

 

U.S. regional allies Japan and South Korea, as well as North Korea's main ally, China, urged the two countries to salvage the summit on Friday.

 

At an economic forum in St. Petersburg, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan said it was necessary to ensure security on the Korean peninsula, which touched on China's core interests.

 

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at the same forum, regretted the cancellation and said the world should keep doing its bit to make the summit happen.

 

South Korea also would continue efforts to improve ties with the North, the office of President Moon Jae-in said after Moon's top security advisers met for the second time on Friday.

 

Some analysts worried that cancelling the summit could prompt a resumption in hostilities, including renewed shorter-range missile tests or stepped-up cyber attacks by Pyongyang and increased sanctions or deployment of new military assets by Washington.

 

In his letter, Trump warned Kim of the United States' greater nuclear might, reminiscent of his tweet last year asserting that he had a "much bigger" nuclear button than Kim.

 

While the Trump administration had insisted on North Korea's complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantling of its nuclear programme, Pyongyang had always couched its language in terms of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

 

It has said in previous, failed talks that it could consider giving up its arsenal if the United States provided security guarantees by removing its troops from South Korea and withdrawing its so-called nuclear umbrella of deterrence from South Korea and Japan.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-05-26

[Thailand]

All very amusing with China holding all the high cards and a bit like the "election" here the eventual winner is already known.

[Get Real]

46 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

"We're talking to them now. They very much want to do it. We'd like to do it."

The moron is talking again

[ezzra]

What we have here are feeble minded leaders of two nations so far apart in their ideology that no one understand what is the game that is afoot here, and i suspect that not even those two bozzos are winging it....

[Aj Mick]

Unlikely to see a meeting during The Donald's presidency...... unlikely if/when he resigns and Pence steps in. But must happen sooner or later, when more realistic minds come to play.

[klauskunkel]

All right, that's it. I'm putting Trump on my "ignore list".

[cornishcarlos]

18 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

All right, that's it. I'm putting Trump on my "ignore list".

 

Who ?

[klauskunkel]

43 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

Who ?

Who's on First.

 

 

[cycolista]

Running the country like a reality show.  Sad!

[Basil B]

5 hours ago, Aj Mick said:

Unlikely to see a meeting during The Donald's presidency...... unlikely if/when he resigns and Pence steps in. But must happen sooner or later, when more realistic minds come to play.

Whoever follows Trump will have to mend many bridges...

 

That wall has turned from a physical engineering project that keeps the Mexicans out to a virtual wall that encircles the USA separating it from the rest of the world... 

[Srikcir]

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at the same forum, regretted the cancellation and said the world should keep doing its bit to make the summit happen.

 

South Korea also would continue efforts to improve ties with the North, the office of President Moon Jae-in said after Moon's top security advisers met for the second time on Friday.

These statements may be why Trump suddenly reversed himself. South Korea and Japan will continue talks with North Korea despite Trump's absence. Trump fearing he will lose fame (and Nobel Peace prize) as The Deal Maker immediately jumps back in as the lead talks negotiator.

[dunroaming]

Like I said before, they both need this summit.  It's just ping pong for the attention seeking morons.

[metisdead]

A post in violation of fair use policy has been removed as well as a reply:

 

14) You will not post any copyrighted material except as fair use laws apply (as in the case of news articles). Please only post a link, the headline and the first three sentences.

[car720]

Talk about have your cake and eat it too.

[attrayant]

North and South Korean leaders hold surprise meeting

 

Quote

In separate speeches, Kim and Moon promised a new era. Addressing the world's media live on television for the first time, Kim said the Koreas "will be reunited as one country." Moon said: "There will not be any more war on the Korean Peninsula."

 

Good going.  Work things out without the orange buffoon.  He's too busy tweeting about all his cronies being indicted and/or flipping.

[Stargeezr]

Will these two boys meet with their shovels and sand buckets in hand?