Trump dangles prospect of Kim visiting White House
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has signalled that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could be invited to the White House if their upcoming summit in Singapore goes well.
The United States also indicating there was greater convergence with North Korea on the question of “denuclearisation,” a key target for Trump and an issue that will make or break the summit. The US president is meeting Kim in Singapore on Tuesday.
The summit could either become his signature foreign policy initiative, and possibly lead to a Nobel Peace Prize if it goes well, or hand him an international embarrassment.
Trump said he would invite Kim to the US, and to the White House, if the Singapore meeting goes well.
“Maybe we’ll start with the White House,” he told reporters on Thursday at a joint briefing with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He was responding to a question on whether Kim would be hosted at the official residence or his Florida resort, where he had hosted many world leaders.
Trump sounded optimistic even as he couched it in his usual caveats. “I am totally prepared to walk (out of the summit),” he said, adding, “I hope it won’t be necessary to walk because I really believe that Kim Jong Un wants to do something that is going to be great for his people and also great for his family and great for himself.”
But if it doesn’t go well? “You’ll know how well we do in the negotiation,” he said.
“If you hear me saying we’re going to use ‘maximum pressure’, you’ll know the negotiation did not do well.”