President Trump said on Thursday that he would “certainly” invite North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to the United States if their upcoming summit in Singapore on June 12 goes well.
While taking questions from the press during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump replied to the Daily Caller‘s Saagar Enjeti: “Maybe we’ll start with the White House. What do you think?”
Trump also said he hopes to be able to normalize relations with North Korea, and that a formal agreement to end the Korean war is “absolutely” possible. The war has technically been active since a 1953 armistice.
“Normalizing relations is something that I would expect to do…There are a lot of good factors lined up for North Korea. … It has tremendous potential because the people are great, and we would certainly like to see normalization,” Trump said.
To that end…
Sec Pompeo “NK has confirmed to us its willingness to denuclearize” after saying direct talks between the two nations have been underway at lower level.
— Kelly O’Donnell (@KellyO) June 7, 2018
“A secure North Korea” Sec Pompeo says the US would protect the stability of NK leadership if they denuclearize
— Kelly O’Donnell (@KellyO) June 7, 2018
.@Esaagar: “If the summit does go well, will you be inviting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the United States?”
President Trump: “Well the answer is yes…certainly if it goes well. I think it would be well-received. I think he would look at it very favorably.” pic.twitter.com/Prq1FqX3Cp
— CSPAN (@cspan) June 7, 2018
Well that was interesting! @POTUS tells me if the meeting in Singapore goes well that he will inviting Kim Jong Un to the White House!
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) June 7, 2018
Trump and Kim are set to meet at the Capella Hotel in Singapore on June 12. While many details remain shrouded in mystery, the White House has sought to downplay the summit – describing it as the first step in a “process” towards full denuclearization.
Following a visit to the White House by North Korean envoy, Kim Yong Chol, President Trump announced that the previously canceled summit was back on.
Trump said that a letter hand delivered by Former North Korean spy chief Kim Yong Chol was “very nice,” and “very interesting,” and that it would be a big mistake if the summit did not take place.
The letter from Mr. Kim was described as fairly basic, according to one foreign government official who was briefed on the contents. It expresses the North Korean leader’s interest in meeting without making any significant concessions or threats. The Kim lieutenant delivering the letter, Gen. Kim Yong Chol, who is under U.S. sanctions for his role in cyberattacks against American companies, is expected to remain in the U.S. until Saturday, the official said. –WSJ
On the topic of denuclearization, Trump said “I think they want to do that, I know they want to do that. They want other things along the line. They want to develop as a country.”
In comments to reporters last Thursday before boarding Air Force One, President Trump said that talks between US and North Korean diplomats were going “very well.”
They better go well if Kim wants a trip to the White House and that McDonald’s…
via RSS https://ift.tt/2xS4oLG Tyler Durden