TRUMP SAYS ‘NO SPEED LIMIT’ ON DENUCLEARISING NORTH KOREA

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has said that there is “no time-limit” and “no speed limit” for the denuclearisation of North Korea, a significant shift in tone from his earlier stance.

Trump on Tuesday said North Korean peace talks had been part of the agenda in his Helsinki summit with Vladimir Putin, and that the Russian leader “agreed with me 100%”.

“We have no time limit,” Trump said. “We have no speed limit. We have...we’re just going through the process.”

Trump doubled down on this in a tweet on Wednesday. “Russia has agreed to help with North Korea, where relationships with us are very good and the process is moving along. There is no rush, the sanctions remain! Big benefits and exciting future for North Korea at end of process!” he posted.

After Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s summit in Singapore on June 12, their sketchy joint statement specified no timelines for Pyongyang to denuclearise, but Washington made clear that progress on that front was key to ongoing talks.

Soon after, a road-block of sorts was hit with North Korea reacting angrily to mounting pressure and accusing the US, immediately after a visit by secretary of state Mike Pompeo, of a “gangster-like” approach to denuclearisation.

Things have been smoothened over since, with Trump seemingly happy to receive a personal guarantee of intention and purpose by Kim in a personal letter sent through Pompeo.