Culture

Trump cancels North Korea summit

May 25, 2018 05:41·
Donald Trump could wave goodbye to a scheduled meeting with Kim Jong-un More

Donald Trump could wave goodbye to a scheduled meeting with Kim Jong-un More

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee shortly after the letter was released that he was "still optimistic" the US and North Korea would reach a historic deal. "I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long planned meeting".

And in response to Pyongyang's overnight threat that Washington would face a "nuclear-to-nuclear showdown" and "an appalling tragedy" if it pulled out of the summit, Trump pointedly warned: "You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used".

The president writes that he is still looking forward to meeting the North Korean strongman (nuclear apocalypse notwithstanding).

A flurry of characteristically combative statements from North Korea - branding Vice President Mike Pence as a "political dummy" and threatening nuclear confrontation with the US - made plain that the North was not willing to relinquish its nukes in short order as key Trump advisers like national security adviser John Bolton were demanding.

After inflating a bubble of expectation for a historic summit with North Korea, President Donald Trump popped it.

Chinese analysts say China has much to gain from a peace deal that would prevent a potentially disastrous conflict with the United States on its border, and that in the long run might result in the removal of U.S. troops from South Korea.

A White House official said North Korean condemnation of Mr Pence was the "last straw" that led to the United States cancelling the meeting, but said there was still hope for peace with North Korea.

But Trump's cancellation letter turned the tables by thanking Kim for his "time, patience and effort" and inviting him to "call me or write" if he changes his mind.

He also stressed the U.S. military is ready to respond to any "foolish or reckless acts" by the North.

He said the U.S. military was the most powerful in the world and was ready if necessary.

This included the fact that North Korea recently objected to a joint military exercise between the USA and South Korea despite pledging to tolerate such drills back in March.

In a letter to Kim, the Republican firebrand described the cancellation as a "missed opportunity" and a "truly sad moment in history".

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"We can expect North Korea will condemn the decision in strong terms and cast blame on the United States for throwing away a good thing through its actions", said Mintaro Oba, a former U.S. State Department official who worked on North Korean issues.

But after criticism from North Korea, Mr Trump cast doubt this week on whether the meeting would happen. And "Kim Jong Un wants to do what's right", adding, "I really believe that".

The regime's statement Wednesday night may have been the final straw, but in recent days, prospects for the summit itself had been dimming, as North Korea appeared to be trying to "move the goal posts" for the meeting, specifically on the issue of the military exercises.

Even so, Trump, in scrapping the June 12 summit in Singapore, sounded a bellicose note on Thursday, warning Kim of the United States' greater nuclear might, reminiscent of the president's tweet previous year asserting that he had a "much bigger" nuclear button than Kim.

China wasn't surprised by the collapse of the summit given recent signals that had come from Trump, a government official said. "They simply stood us up".

"We've not been able to conduct the preparations between our two teams that would be necessary to have a successful summit", Mr Pompeo told a Senate hearing on Thursday.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed deep regret over Mr Trump's decision to cancel the summit, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing the Blue House executive office.

Moon was speaking at an emergency meeting of his top security officials in Seoul after Trump announced he was canceling the summit because of North Korean "hostility".

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.

He urged parties to continue their diplomatic efforts with "nerves of steel" to work towards denuclearisation of the divided Korean peninsula.

He said leaders had a responsibility to minimise the risk of weapons and said disarmament was a concern for every country and should cover weapons "from hand grenades to H-bombs".

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