No new conditions on N. Korea before talks
■ Sanctions working ahead of Trump- Un meeting, says US
Washington, March 12: Trump administration officials say there will be no more conditions imposed on North Korea before a first- ever meeting of the two nation’s leaders beyond the North’s promise not to resume nuclear testing and missile flights or publicly criticise USSouth Korean military exercises.
The officials’ comments on Sunday followed the surprise announcement last week that President Donald Trump has agreed to meet the North’s Kim Jong Un by May.
“This potential meeting has been agreed to, there are no additional conditions being stipulated, but, again they cannot engage in missile testing, they cannot engage in nuclear testing and they can’t publicly object to the U. S.- South Korea planned military exercises,” deputy White House spokesman Raj Shah said.
The administration officials credited toughened economic sanctions imposed by the UN, and pushed by the US , with helping bring Kim to the brink of negotiations.
“Our policy is pressure, is pressure from our partners and allies around the world, pressure to the United Nations, pressure through China, these have had an impact. It’s impacted Kim Jong Un’s behavior. It’s impacted his conduct,” Shah said.
But some members of Congress said they worry that Trump acted impulsively in agreeing to meet with Kim, before negotiators for both countries had a chance to set some goals the leaders could agree to.
“But the important thing is the diplomatic work that has to go in before such a meeting. A meeting like that would be kind of an afterthought after things are negotiated,” they said.