The summit’s off!
Trump pulls out of talks hours after Kim blows up his nuke testing site
DONALD Trump last night abruptly cancelled an historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, blaming the rogue state’s ‘ tremendous anger and open hostility’.
The US President was referring to comments by a senior North Korean official describing his vice-president Mike Pence as ‘ignorant and stupid’, and a ‘political dummy’.
Mr Trump wrote to Kim yesterday morning to say the meeting – which would have been the first between a North Korean leader and a sitting US President – would not take place as planned in Singapore on June 12.
‘I was very much looking forward to being there with you,’ Mr Trump wrote in a message full of barely disguised annoyance and menace. ‘I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long planned meeting. 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.’
Mr Trump’s letter came hours after North Korea announced it had demolished its nuclear test site. It set off a series of explosions at the underground site in the presence of foreign journalists.
The move had been announced by Kim in what was seen as a goodwill gesture before the summit. Earlier this week Mr Trump blamed China for worsening relations with North Korea.
He said Kim’s attitude appeared to have changed after a meeting three weeks ago with president Xi Jinping.
The Kim regime had threatened to scrap the talks after claiming it was offended by remarks last week by Mr Pence.
Officials had cited ‘unlawful and outrageous acts’ by American leaders, saying Mr Pence had made ‘unbridled and impudent remarks’ that North Korea might end up like Libya. Deputy foreign minister Choe Son Hui warned it was up to the US whether the countries met in a conference room or at a ‘nuclear-to-nuclear showdown’.
Mr Pence had suggested that if the North Korean leader refused to get rid of his nuclear weapons, he could go the same way as Colonel Gaddafi.
The Libyan leader agreed to scrap his nuclear programme but was subsequently killed by rebels after his regime was weakened by military action from the US and Europe. When it was pointed out that the comparison could be seen as a threat, Mr Pence replied: ‘Well, I think it’s more of a fact.’ Mr Pence also warned that it would be a ‘mistake’ for the North Koreans to think they could ‘play’ Mr Trump as they had the Clinton and Bush administrations.
North Korea experts had long warned that the Trump administration risked being made into a propaganda tool by the Pyongyang regime after agreeing to Kim’s call for talks. His country has repeatedly made similar overtures in the past only to renege on them.
However, Mr Trump has been keen to notch up a major foreign policy success and appeared to be encouraging supporters’ calls for him to get the Nobel Peace Prize by finally disarming the warlike ‘hermit kingdom’.
Mr Trump yesterday appeared keen to be seen as having come out on top by pointing out that North Korea had released three US hostages as a sign of good faith. ‘I want to thank you for the release of the hostages who are now home with their families,’ he wrote. ‘That was a beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated.’
Speaking at the White House last night, Mr Trump said the cancellation was a ‘tremendous setback’ for peace.
He also stressed the US military was ready to respond to any ‘foolish or reckless acts’, adding a ‘maximum pressure campaign’ will continue against North Korea. Downing Street said it was ‘disappointed’ that the face-to-face talks between Mr Trump and Kim had fallen through.