Trump may still meet Kim

US-Russia relations remain frayed

WASHINGTON/ SEOUL/ ST PETERSBURG: US President Donald Trump said a planned summit with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un could still take place on June 12 as scheduled, although just days ago he cancelled the meeting citing Pyongyang’s “tremendous anger and open hostility”.

Trump welcomed a conciliatory statement from North Korea, saying it remained open to talks after he called off the summit with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un on Thursday.

“It was a very nice statement they put out,” Trump said. “We’ll see what happens – it could even be the 12th. We’re talking to them now. They very much want to do it. We’d like to do it.”

Earlier on Twitter, Trump had noted “very good news to receive the warm and productive statement from North Korea”.

After decades of tension on the Korean peninsula and antagonism with the US over its nuclear weapons programme, Kim and Trump agreed to meet in what would be the first meeting between a serving US president and a North Korean leader.

Trump scrapped the meeting on Thursday after repeated threats by North Korea to pull out of the summit in Singapore over what it saw as confrontational remarks by US officials. Trump cited North Korean hostility in cancelling the summit.

In Pyongyang, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan said North Korea’s recent criticisms of certain US officials had been a reaction to unbridled American rhetoric and that the antagonism showed “the urgent necessity” for the summit.

“His sudden and unilateral announcement to cancel the summit is something unexpected to us and we cannot but feel great regret for it,” Kim Kye Gwan said.

He added that North Korea remained open to resolving issues with Washington “regardless of ways, at any time”.

North Korea had sharply criticised suggestions by Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, and Vice President Mike Pence that it could share the fate of Libya if it did not swiftly surrender its nuclear arsenal. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was deposed and killed by Natobacked militants after halting his nuclear programme.

Kim Kye Gwan said North Korea appreciated Trump for having made the bold decision to work toward a summit. “We even inwardly hoped that what is called ‘Trump formula’ would help clear both sides of their worries and comply with the requirements of our side and would be a wise way of substantial effect for settling the issue,” he said.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia was ready for dialogue with the US, but a proposed summit between him and Trump was not working out for now. Trump said in March they would meet soon, but since then already poor ties between Washington and Moscow have deteriorated further. – Reuters

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