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US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in today discussed North Korea’s recent threats to cancel its unprecedented summit with Washington DC, Seoul’s presidential office has confirmed.
After weeks of warm words and diplomatic backslapping, Pyongyang abruptly threatened to pull out of the planned summit next month because of US demands for “unilateral nuclear abandonment”, according to the North’s official KCNA news agency.
North Korea also cancelled a high-level meeting with the South at the last minute, protesting joint military drills between Seoul and Washington.
In a phone conversation today, Trump and Moon “exchanged views on various actions taken by North Korea recently”, Moon’s office said in a statement.
The two leaders agreed to “work closely” for the success of the landmark summit in Singapore on 12 June, which would be the first meeting between a sitting US President and a North Korean leader.
They are due to meet in Washington on Tuesday.
Charm offensive
North Korea’s sudden shift in attitude followed a weeks-long charm offensive that has seen leader Kim Jong-un hold a historic summit with Moon and meet Chinese President Xi Jinping twice.
At a dramatic summit last month in the Demilitarised Zone dividing their two countries, Kim and Moon pledged to pursue nuclear disarmament and a peace treaty.
Pyongyang also raised hopes ahead of the US summit by announcing it will destroy its nuclear testing site.
However, the promise is open to interpretation on both sides and the North has spent decades developing its atomic arsenal, culminating last year in its sixth nuclear test — by far its biggest to date — and the launch of missiles capable of reaching the US.
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Imagine trying to negotiate with a man who doesn’t know the difference between HIV and HPV! Lol
It’s pretty sad that anti-Trump haters and many people in the MSM will be happy if this summit doesn’t go ahead.
There are only two outcomes in this situation with people like Bolton and Pompeo in Trump’s ear: War or Peace. No middle ground left…
@Jimmy Ryan Returns: and who appointed bolton with his record
@Jimmy Ryan Returns: what idiot went ahead with war games beefier a peace summit?
@Jimmy Ryan Returns: Trump made this happen. He handed all the negotiating tools to NK by celebrating victory before actually doing anything (“Nobel,Nobel,Nobel,Nobel”) obviously they saw that and thought they could get a better deal by threatening to walk away and you know what? They’re right.
@B9xiRspG: The strategy is one of maximum pressure while allowing for an opening for discussions. War games are a part of that. Increasing sanctions are a part of that. Appointing war hawks like Bolton and Pompeo are a part of that.
Make no mistake, this is an extremely risky strategy that heightens the possibility of war. But it can work as the Reagan administration found out. I’m not blind to see that with this strategy, there are only two outcomes…War or Peace.
So for that reason, I hope this works out. And I wouldn’t care if it was Clinton, Bush, Obama, Hilliary or Trump leading this push…I would support it. And that is my main point. Unfortunately, people like you hope this fails and millions of people die. Just so you can use it to bash Trump. Sorry, that’s a sick and disgusting position.
@Dave O Keeffe: Complete nonsense. The talk parameters are pretty clear. One path leads to war. One path leads to peace. For people like Bolton, both lead to denuclearization. However, its possible only peace leads to Kim’s regime lasting longer.
Bolton is a strong advocate for regime change in North Korea. If you think people like him are going to be played by Kim threatening to walk away, you are in day dream land. Because that is probably the outcome Bolton would like….
@Jimmy Ryan Returns: You got it wrong on talk parameters and where they lead. One path leads to war right now and other path lead to war later on. Same case as happened with Libya.
@Jimmy Ryan Returns: that funny because the Bolton comments they refer to were weeks agonand the military operations, well NK agreed that they could go ahead before the talks. So what else has happened since the date was set? Oh that’s right, the “mission accomplished” and Nobel cries. That’s bound to tick off a dictator, but it also provides leverage to NK, Trump would look very silly if it didn’t happen after he bragged so much about it. There’s a reason presidents refuse the invitation to meet with the NK leader.
That is the result you get when Apes come down out of the trees too soon. Evolution has to take its course.
“False face must hide what the false heart doth know.” Shakespeare. Macbeth.
When trump proudly announced he was going to bring peace to the world the real authors of the tentative peace talks wisely allowed him to repeat bush’s “mission accomplished speech”now with the latest developments his premature Superman type speech is going to make him look a bigger idiot If that is possible.
@John Bart: You don’t bring peace to the world by sabre rattling and beating your chest like the big ape Trump appears to be.
I’m not that surprised.Trump must be really stupid to think he was going to swan in there and dictate to a dictator!
That ain’t gonna happen Trumpy.
@Gerry Fallon: There are lessons for any dictator to learn from the way Trump is treating Iran and threatening to censor any company or business who wants to carry on trading there.
There are also lessons to be learned from Libya and Ukraine after giving up on nuclear weapons and then face invasion from a hostile neighbour.
have your say