Date, place set for summit with Kim, reveals Trump
Withdrawal of US troops from South Korea not on the table
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Friday that the time and place have been set for his landmark meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un — but kept the world guessing for now about the when and where.
Trump also said that withdrawal of US troops from South Korea was “not on the table” as he looks to get Kim to give up his nukes at what will be the first summit of between a US and a North Korean leader.
The New York Times reported that Trump has asked the Pentagon to prepare plans for scaling back the US military presence in the allied Asian nation. Some 28,500 US forces are based there since the Korean War ended in 1953 without a peace treaty. North Korea has long sought the removal of the troops as one of its condition for denuclearisation.
Trump suggested Monday that he was looking for his historic meeting with the North Korean dictator to be held at the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas. That’s where Kim met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in last Friday.
Trump also said then that the Southeast Asian city state of Singapore was also in the running to play host. “We now have a date and we have a location. We’ll be announcing it soon,” Trump told reporters on Friday.
He’s previously said the summit was planned for May or early June. On Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence postponed a planned trip to Brazil at the end of May to free up resources for the summit.
Trump on Friday also heavily hinted that the release of three Americans by North Korea was in the offing, but again was sparing on the details.
“We’re having very substantive talks with North Korea and a lot of things have already happened with respect to the hostages, and I think you’re going to see very good things...stay tuned,” Trump said.
‘WOULD LOVE TO SPEAK’ TO RUSSIA PROBE
Trump said he is willing to be interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in the Russia meddling probe, but only if he gets fair treatment. “I would love to speak, but I have to find that we’re going to be treated fairly,” Trump told reporters.
“I would love to speak because we’ve done nothing wrong.”
He also undercut his attorney, Rudy Giuliani who he said will eventually get the facts right regarding a payment to actress Stormy Daniels who said she had an affair with Trump. Everything “has been said incorrectly,” Trump said, blaming the media.