The White House confirmed Tuesday it’s actively preparing for an “expected” summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12th, just days after the President threatened to cancel the meeting over Kim’s “open hostility” towards the US.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed the preparations in an official statement, saying “The United States continues to actively prepare for President Trump’s expected summit with leader Kim in Singapore.”
Sanders’ comments come just hours after high-ranking Korean officials visited New York City, meeting with representatives of the Trump administration to clear the path for the potentially historic meeting.
President Trump ratcheted up his pressure on the Hermit Kingdom last week, saying he planned on canceling the meeting after Kim’s team failed to meet with US negotiators to finalize plans.
“You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used,” wrote the President in his letter.
KOREA CAVES: South Korea Says Kim Prepared to ABANDON Nuclear Program
South Korean President Moon Jae-in announced Thursday that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is prepared to fully denuclearize the Korean peninsula without demanding “impossible” concessions; a major victory for President Trump ahead of next month’s summit.
According to Reuters, the South Korean leader unveiled his high-stakes discussions with Kim regarding a permanent end of the Korean War, saying the dictator will not demand the complete removal of US forces in the region as a pre-condition for abandoning his weapons program.
“North Korea is expressing a will for a complete denuclearization,” said Moon following the meetings.
“They have not attached any conditions that the U.S. cannot accept, such as the withdrawal of American troops from South Korea. All they are expressing is the end of hostile policies against North Korea, followed by a guarantee of security,” he added.
The announcement comes just weeks before President Trump is set to talk with North Korean despot Kim Jong Un; the first face-to-face meeting between the leaders of both nations in history.
SUMMIT SAVED? Jim Mattis ‘VERY OPTIMISTIC’ Korean Summit Will Take Place
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis offered new hope over the fate of the President’s scheduled summit with Kim Jong Un Friday, saying he was “very optimistic” that the North Koreans would return to the negotiating table.
“We have got some, possibly some good news on the Korea summit, where it may, if our diplomats can pull it off, may have it back on even,” Mattis told reporters.
“The diplomats are still at work on the summit, possibility of a summit, so that is very good news,” he added. “I am optimistic that the diplomats are working, our diplomats are working very hard to make this happen.”
The Pentagon chief’s comments echo similar remarks made by the President Friday morning; thanking the communist leader’s “warm” words after Trump canceled the high-stakes meeting.
The Commander-in-Chief scuttled the summit just days after the Hermit Kingdom slammed senior administration officials -particularly Vice President Mike Pence- as “political dummies.”