Trump Scraps Summit with North Korea, Cites ‘Open Hostility’
UK’s PM expresses her disappointment
United States President Donald Trump on Thursday informed North Korean leader Kim Jon gUnth at he was calling off their historic summit scheduled for next month, citing “anger” and “hostility”…
United States President Donald Trump on Thursday informed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that he was calling off their historic summit scheduled for next month, citing “anger” and “hostility” from the North Korean regime.
In a letter to Kim, Agence France-Presse reported that Trump announced he was pulling out of the high-stakes meeting agreed for June 12, an unprecedented face-to-face between a US and North Korean leader aimed at ridding the reclusive state of nuclear weapons.
Trump’s announcement of his abrupt withdrawal from what would have been a first-ever meeting between a serving US president and a North Korean leader even after North Korea followed through on a pledge to blow up tunnels at its nuclear test site, according to Reuters.
North Korea had announced that it had “completely” dismantled its nuclear test site, in a carefully choreographed move portrayed by the isolated regime as a goodwill gesture ahead of the summit.
Reuters reported a White House official as saying a North Korean official’s condemnation of US Vice President Mike Pence as a “political dummy”, which the official called “the last straw”, led to cancelling the summit.
“Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it would be inappropriate, at this time, to have this longplanned meeting,” Trump wrote in his letter to Kim, released by the White House. “Please let this letter serve to represent that the Singapore summit, for the good of both parties, but to the detriment of the world, will not take place.”
“The world, and North Korea in particular, has lost a great opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth. This missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history,” he said.
The US leader brandished the threat of America’s nuclear might in his letter, writing: “You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used.”
But his letter also appeared to leave the door open to a future meeting with Kim, stressing he had been “very much looking forward” to the event -- on which he had pinned great hopes, openly entertaining the notion it could earn him him a Nobel Peace Prize.
“We greatly appreciate your time, patience, and effort with respect to our recent negotiations and discussions,” he told Kim.
“I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately, it is only that dialogue that matters,” Trump said.
“If you change your mind having to do with this most important summit, please do not hesitate to call me or write.”
However, the chances for a quick rescheduling appear remote and cancellation of the summit will renew fears of a return to conflict on the Korean peninsula.
The North Korean mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s cancellation of the summit.
US key ally, the UK, expressed its disappointment at the cancellation of the planned meeting.
“We are disappointed that the meeting will no longer go ahead as planned. We need to see an agreement that can bring about the completely verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and we will continue to work with our partners to this end,” Reuters quoted a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Theresa May as telling reporters on Thursday.
US stocks dropped sharply on the news, with the benchmark S&P 500 Index falling more than half a percent in about 10 minutes. Investors turned to US Treasury debt as a safe alternative, driving the yield on the 10-year note, which moves inversely to its price, down to a 10-day low and back below the psychologically important 3 percent level. The US dollar also weakened broadly, particularly against the Japanese yen, which climbed to a two-week high against the greenback.
Earlier on Thursday, North Korea had repeated a threat to pull out of the summit with Trump next month and warned it was prepared for a nuclear showdown with Washington if necessary.
North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons has been a source of tension on the Korean peninsula for decades, as well as antagonism with Washington, but escalated into fears of war last year after North Korea said it had tested an H-bomb and developed a missile capable of hitting the United States.
The rhetoric reached war-like heights under Trump as he mocked Kim as “little rocket man” and in address at the United Nations threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea if necessary. Kim had called Trump mentally deranged and threatened to “tame” him with fire.
Kim rarely leaves North Korea and his willingness to meet and Trump’s acceptance sparked hope but it had faded in recent days.