The fate of the historic summit between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader is up in the air right now, with President Donald Trump stating: “Whatever it is, we’ll know next week”. Such a typical reality TV show cliffhanger from the former star of The Apprentice.
“If we go, I think it will be a great thing for North Korea,” he said to reporters at the White House, AFP reported.
It’s been an on-again-off-again status regarding the anticipated Trump-Kim summit that’s supposed to take place in Singapore on June 12. North Korea threatened to pull out, expressing anger over joint US-South Korea military exercises that they deem to be an “intentional military provocation”. The hermit kingdom also denounced US demands for denuclearization — which is odd considering that its the very reason why the two leaders are meeting.
“That decision will ultimately be up to Chairman Kim,” said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo when asked in a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee if the summit will take place.
“He asked for the meeting, the president agreed to meet with him,” Pompeo said. “I’m very hopeful that that meeting will take place.”
White House aides — including deputy chief of staff Joe Hagin and deputy national security adviser Mira Ricardel — are already traveling to Singapore to meet their North Korean counterparts and iron out the details of the meeting.
A UN Security Council committee has also agreed to lift a travel ban on North Korean officials heading here for the summit. This followed a request from Singapore to grant an exemption to Pyongyang’s delegation taking part in preparatory meetings, according to AFP.
Whether or not the summit will take place in the end, Singapore is happy to play a part in the historic event and hopes that it will advance prospects for peace on the Korean peninsula.
“May the universal values of compassion, charity, peaceful coexistence and mutual accommodation guide their discussions,” said Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs Maliki Osman in a speech at a breaking of fast reception organized by the United States embassy in Singapore on Monday.
