What happened

American and North Korean diplomats scrambled this week to salvage a potential summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un after the meeting was abruptly canceled and then uncanceled by the White House. President Trump briefly called off the talks in an open letter addressed to Kim last week, citing “tremendous anger and open hostility” in statements from North Korean officials, including one who threatened a “nuclear-to-nuclear showdown” if the talks fail. The North Koreans were particularly angered by remarks from Vice President Mike Pence and national security adviser John Bolton suggesting a “Libya model” for dismantling North Korea’s nuclear program. But North Korea appeared conciliatory after Trump’s letter, with Kim making a surprise appearance with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Panmunjom “truce village” in the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

Administration officials now say they are continuing to “actively prepare” for the June 12 summit in Singapore. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met in New York City this week with Gen. Kim Yong Chol, one of Kim Jong Un’s most trusted advisers. “We have put a great team together for our talks with North Korea,” Trump tweeted. “Solid response to my letter, thank you!” But the two sides remain far apart on the issue of denuclearization. A CIA report obtained by NBC News this week concluded that North Korea has no intention of conceding its nuclear weapons, though it notes that Kim has considered allowing a U.S. hamburger chain to open in Pyongyang as a goodwill gesture.