Trump suggests summit in doubt
Donald Trump threw his planned summit with Kim Jong Un into doubt yesterday, suggesting it could be delayed after ‘‘differences’’ emerged in the wake of the North Korean leader’s meeting with the Chinese president.
The meeting is supposed to happen in Singapore on June 12 but Trump said that ‘‘may not happen’’.
During a White House meeting with President Moon Jae-in, the South Korean president, he said: ‘‘If it doesn’t happen, maybe it happens later.’’
He appeared frustrated with President Xi Jinping, of China, indicating he noticed a change in Kim’s ‘‘attitude’’ after he made a visit to China two weeks ago. It was the North Korean leader’s second trip there in recent months.
Trump said: ‘‘There was a difference after Kim Jong Un left China the second time. President Xi is a world-class poker player. Maybe nothing happened, I’m not blaming anybody.
‘‘But there was a different attitude from the North Korean folks after that second meeting and I was a little surprised. I think things changed after that meeting so I can’t say that I am happy about it.’’
His comments followed several recent setbacks in efforts to bring peace to the Korean peninsula. Last week North Korea pulled out of planned peace talks with its southern neighbour in protest at military exercises by the US and South Korea.
Pyongyang also suggested the summit could be cancelled if it was pushed towards ‘‘unilateral nuclear abandonment’’.
The developments raised fears that North Korea could be using summit negotiations merely as a means to ease sanctions and the US campaign of ‘‘maximum pressure’’ introduced by Trump.
Further questions about the rogue nation’s motives emerged after a newly leaked Pentagon report to Congress described nuclear weapons as central to the Kim family’s goal of perpetual rule. The report was provided to Congress in April, one month after Trump agreed to meet Kim.
Trump said he was firm in demanding denuclearisation, adding: ‘‘There are certain conditions that we want. I have very strong opinions. I think we’ll get those conditions. And if we don’t, we won’t have the meeting.’’
Experts have suggested South Korea may have exaggerated to the US how willing North Korea is to get rid of its nuclear capability.
Robert Kelly, a political analyst at Pusan National University in South Korea, said: ‘‘It increasingly looks like the Moon administration overstated North Korea’s willingness to deal. Moon will probably get an earful (from Trump) over that.’’
Meanwhile, Trump is set to visit the underground bunker from which Winston Churchill masterminded the defeat of Nazi Germany when the US president visits Britain on July 13.
Trump is a fan of Churchill and has a bust of the wartime leader in the White House. He is said to have enjoyed Darkest Hour, starring Gary Oldman as Winston, much of which took place in the War Rooms. – Telegraph Group