Trump backs peace talks between North, South Korea
PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Trump began meetings with the leader of Japan on Tuesday by saying he supports talks by North and South Korea to formally end a state of war that has lasted more than six decades.
“They do have my blessing to discuss the end of the war,” Trump said after welcoming Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to his Mar-a-Lago estate for talks that center on trade, as well as efforts to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
Trump said the United States has begun talking “directly” with North Korea. He did not say whether he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un spoke one-on-one. With Abe at his side, Trump repeated that he plans to meet with Kim — perhaps in early June — but he raised the possibility that the summit might be called off because of a lack of agreement over an agenda.
“It’s possible things won’t go well and we won’t have the meetings, and we’ll just continue to go on this very strong path we have taken,” said Trump, who has lobbied China and other countries to cut off economic assistance to North Korea until it gives up nuclear weapons.
North and South Korea are negotiating a statement to formally end the war that began in 1950. The two nations ended that conflict with a truce in 1953 but have technically been at war in the decades since.
“Without us, and without me in particular, I guess, they wouldn’t be discussing anything,” Trump said.
Abe sought an exemption to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum and assurances that the president will take Japanese security into account if he meets with Kim. This is the third Trump-Abe summit, including one at Mar-a-Lago in February last year. Trump visited Tokyo as part of an Asia tour in November.