Trump walks away from N. Korea summit
He cites ‘hostility’ in halting June event; says talks possible later
WASHINGTON — In a diplomatic setback, President Donald Trump abruptly reversed course Thursday and pulled out of his scheduled nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, releasing a letter to Kim that blamed the “tremendous anger and open hostility displayed” by Pyongyang.
Speaking later at the White House, Trump called his decision to cancel the much-anticipated June 12 summit in Singapore “a tremendous setback for North Korea and, I believe, for the world” but left open the possibility that it could be rescheduled.
“If and when Kim Jong Un chooses to engage in constructive dialogue and actions, I am waiting,” Trump said, adding that U.S. sanctions against North Korea would continue in the meantime.
North Korea said Friday it remained willing to sit down for talks with the United States “at any time, at any format.” Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan issued a statement saying North Korea is “willing to give the U.S. time and opportunities” to reconsider talks.
Kim said North Korea’s “objec-
tive and resolve to do our best for the sake of peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and all humankind remain unchanged.” He called Trump’s decision “unexpected” and “very regrettable” and said the cancellation shows “how urgently a summit should be realized to improve ties.”
Trump’s withdrawal came two days after he signaled for the first time that his demand for a swift and comprehensive nuclear disarmament deal with North Korea might be impossible to achieve and that any arms control accord with Kim almost certainly would require negotiated phases with reciprocal U.S. actions and a lengthy time frame.
That set the stage for a summit in a global spotlight that might have required Trump to make concessions and compromises — or even risk failure — rather than the one-sided diplomatic triumph he initially seemed to envision.
In recent days, Trump had publicly hinted that he was reconsidering the summit, which he had quickly agreed to in March. His withdrawal from the Iran nuclear accord this month added pressure since North Korea — which possesses a sizable nuclear arsenal and intercontinental ballistic missiles — presented a far greater challenge and threat.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew twice to Pyongyang to meet with Kim, and on May 9 he secured the release of three Americans who had been held by North Korea.
A senior administration official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity Thursday afternoon outlined what he called “a trail of broken promises” from North Korea. Among then, Pyongyang’s team for negotiating summit details didn’t show up for a planning meeting with U.S. officials in Singapore less than two weeks ago, the official said.
On Wednesday night, Trump was briefed on the latest statements from Pyongyang, the official said, and he “took it in stride and slept on it.” On Thursday morning, the president met with Pompeo, Vice President Mike Pence, national security adviser John Bolton and other senior aides and then “he dictated this letter” to Kim.
Some outside experts on North Korea said Trump had overplayed his hand — and folded to avoid embarrassment in Singapore.
“The president wanted this so much that they had to try to make it happen,” said Michael Green, a member of President George W. Bush’s National Security Council, who engaged in previous talks with North Korea.
“The problem was the president really thought he’d struck gold with this North Korean statement on denuclearization, and he hadn’t. When Pompeo went to pin them down and came back with nothing, it was obvious.”
In a statement, South Korean President Moon Jae-in called the cancellation regrettable and called for more dialogue. “Denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and enduring peace are historic tasks that cannot be abandoned or delayed,” Moon said.
Trump’s cancellation came after days of increasingly antagonistic rhetoric from North Korea that suggested it was having second thoughts about the summit.
He did not cite specifics, but a high-ranking North Korean official, Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, earlier Thursday had called Pence a “political dummy” after Pence suggested on Fox News that North Korea could go the way of Libya. The official also said Pyongyang was just as prepared to meet in a nuclear confrontation as at the negotiating table.
In his letter, Trump added a veiled threat about a possible conflict. “You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they never have to be used,” Trump wrote.