Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 1:28:17 GMT
President Trump will accept an invitation by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to meet, the White House confirmed Thursday night, in a dramatic development after months of sabre-rattling between the two world leaders.
Kim extended an invitation to meet with Trump and the president agreed that the two would meet by May, South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong announced at the White House.
"President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. "He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined. We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain."
Earlier Thursday, Chung announced that Trump would meet with Kim to "continue the goal of denuclearization."
Kim, Chung said, "expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible," Chung said. "President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization."
Kim, according to Chung, understands that joint military exercises between South Korea and the U.S. will continue. The North Korean leader, according to recent talks with Chung, also claimed to be "commited to denuclearization."
"He (Kim) pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear missile tests," Chung said, adding that Trump's "leadership" and "maximum pressure" brought us "to this juncture."
Chung said that "along with President Trump," he is "optimistic of continuing a diplomatic process." But he added that "the pressure will continue until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions."
News of the willingness of Kim to meet with Trump follows recent high-profile talks between North Korea and South Korea.
Earlier Thursday, Trump announced that South Korea would be making a “major statement” about North Korea at 7 p.m. Eastern time Thursday. Chung met at the White House earlier in the day with National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster.
The president made the announcement, in his first-ever visit to the press briefing room, briefly popping his head into the room to update reporters.
Chung and other South Korean officials briefed the White House Thursday on a potential diplomatic opening with North Korea after a year of escalating tensions.
Chung told reporters Tuesday that he had received a message from North Korea intended for the United States, but did not disclose what it was.
The announcement comes after hours of consultations at the White House between administration officials and South Korean officials over the recent talks with North Korea.
The dialogue in North Korea concluded with an invitation to the U.S. to reopen direct talks with Pyongyang, saying it would suspend its nuclear tests during such talks.
Trump has expressed an openness to the invitation, saying, “We’ll see.”
Trump and Kim have had a contentious relationship during the last year as both men dramatically increased the rhetoric against the other amid the backdrop of increased nuclear and missile testing by the North Korean regime.
In August Trump warned Kim that, if pressed, the U.S. would unleash “fire, fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before.” At the time, the president argued that Kim had "been very threatening beyond a normal state," adding that the regime "best not make any more threats to the United States."
However, threats and counter-threats continued into 2018.
"The U.S. should know that the button for nuclear weapons is on my table," Kim said during a Jan. 1 speech, according to a translation. "The entire area of the U.S. mainland is within our nuclear strike range," he continued, adding that "the United States can never start a war against me and our country."
The next day Trump hit back against Kim by claiming that the U.S. nuclear arsenal was more powerful. "North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times,'" Trump tweeted. "Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!"
The last round of significant talks involving the U.S. and North Korea concluded in 2009. The so-called six-party talks, which involved the U.S., North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Russia and China, ended when North Korea walked out.
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Kim extended an invitation to meet with Trump and the president agreed that the two would meet by May, South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong announced at the White House.
"President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. "He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined. We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain."
Earlier Thursday, Chung announced that Trump would meet with Kim to "continue the goal of denuclearization."
Kim, Chung said, "expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible," Chung said. "President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization."
Kim, according to Chung, understands that joint military exercises between South Korea and the U.S. will continue. The North Korean leader, according to recent talks with Chung, also claimed to be "commited to denuclearization."
"He (Kim) pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear missile tests," Chung said, adding that Trump's "leadership" and "maximum pressure" brought us "to this juncture."
Chung said that "along with President Trump," he is "optimistic of continuing a diplomatic process." But he added that "the pressure will continue until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions."
News of the willingness of Kim to meet with Trump follows recent high-profile talks between North Korea and South Korea.
Earlier Thursday, Trump announced that South Korea would be making a “major statement” about North Korea at 7 p.m. Eastern time Thursday. Chung met at the White House earlier in the day with National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster.
The president made the announcement, in his first-ever visit to the press briefing room, briefly popping his head into the room to update reporters.
Chung and other South Korean officials briefed the White House Thursday on a potential diplomatic opening with North Korea after a year of escalating tensions.
Chung told reporters Tuesday that he had received a message from North Korea intended for the United States, but did not disclose what it was.
The announcement comes after hours of consultations at the White House between administration officials and South Korean officials over the recent talks with North Korea.
The dialogue in North Korea concluded with an invitation to the U.S. to reopen direct talks with Pyongyang, saying it would suspend its nuclear tests during such talks.
Trump has expressed an openness to the invitation, saying, “We’ll see.”
Trump and Kim have had a contentious relationship during the last year as both men dramatically increased the rhetoric against the other amid the backdrop of increased nuclear and missile testing by the North Korean regime.
In August Trump warned Kim that, if pressed, the U.S. would unleash “fire, fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before.” At the time, the president argued that Kim had "been very threatening beyond a normal state," adding that the regime "best not make any more threats to the United States."
However, threats and counter-threats continued into 2018.
"The U.S. should know that the button for nuclear weapons is on my table," Kim said during a Jan. 1 speech, according to a translation. "The entire area of the U.S. mainland is within our nuclear strike range," he continued, adding that "the United States can never start a war against me and our country."
The next day Trump hit back against Kim by claiming that the U.S. nuclear arsenal was more powerful. "North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times,'" Trump tweeted. "Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!"
The last round of significant talks involving the U.S. and North Korea concluded in 2009. The so-called six-party talks, which involved the U.S., North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Russia and China, ended when North Korea walked out.
link
