Trump rebuffs Bolton on ‘Libya model’
President Donald Trump rebutted his national security adviser, telling reporters he didn’t consider the nuclear disarmament of Libya a model for negotiations with North Korea over its atomic weapons program.
“The Libya model isn’t a model we have at all” for North Korea, Mr. Trump said Thursday during a meeting at the White House with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
National Security Adviser John Bolton drew the ire of the North Korean government for saying that the country’s nuclear disarmament should follow the “Libya model” embraced by Moammar Gadhafi, who after giving up his atomic weapons was later overthrown and killed in a U.S.backed uprising. In fact, Mr. Bolton’s statement figured in North Korea’s threat earlier this week to cancel the Trump-Kim summit meeting planned for June.
That history is well understood by Kim Jong Un’s regime. In a blistering statement Wednesday, North Korea’s vice foreign minister and a top disarmament negotiator, Kim Kye Gwan, said his government felt “repugnance” toward Mr. Bolton.
North Korea ramped up its criticism of South Korea on Thursday, warning of a “rupture” in ties and saying it will not return to talks with its “impudent” and “shameless” rival until Seoul resolves its grievances amid ongoing U.S.-South Korean military exercises. The White House has tried to tamp down concerns that a June 12 summit between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim may be derailed.
Mr. Trump said Thursday that comparisons with Libya would be more apt if North Korea fails to reach an agreement with the U.S. to rid itself of nuclear weapons.
“The model, if you look at that model with Gadhafi, that was a total decimation,” Mr. Trump said. “We went in there to beat him. Now, that model would take place if we don’t make a deal, most likely.” A negotiated settlement with Mr. Kim would be “a much different deal,” he said. “He’d be there, be in his country, he’d be running his country. His country would be very rich, his people are tremendously industrious.”
Pyongyang decided earlier this week to suspend talks with Seoul, citing longplanned U.S.-South Korea military exercises. That decision came with a warning to the U.S. to “think twice” about the fate of the TrumpKim summit in Singapore.
Mr. Trump said that while he has been “reading stories” about North Korea’s comments, Mr. Kim’s government hasn’t altered arrangements for the summit. “Nothing has changed on North Korea that we know of,” he said. “Our people are literally dealing with them right now in terms of making arrangements for the meeting.”
U.S.-China trade talks
Mr. Trump on Thursday cast doubt on the prospect of trade talks with China, saying the Asian economic powerhouse has become “very spoiled” because it usually gets its way with the U.S.
Mr. Trump, in response to questions from reporters during a meeting with NATO’s secretary-general, said the United States has been losing $500 billion a year on trade with China and raised questions about the potential for an agreement.
“Will that be successful? I tend to doubt it. The reason I doubt it is because China has become very spoiled. The European Union has become very spoiled,” Mr. Trump said. “Other countries have become very spoiled because they always got 100 percent of whatever they wanted from the United States. But we can’t allow that to happen anymore.”
EU clash over Iran
SOFIA, Bulgaria — Venting anger at Mr. Trump, European leaders said Thursday they would take steps aimed at blunting the effects of the American sanctions he restored on Iran, which could penalize European companies doing business there.