The Mother of all Summits | Donald Trump vs Kim Jong-un | Singapore - Discussion Thread

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US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have arrived in Singapore for their historic summit.

Mr Trump flew in aboard Air Force One, a few hours after Mr Kim touched down with his entourage.

The two men are staying in separate hotels, not far from each other, and are preparing for Tuesday's meeting on the resort island of Sentosa.

Mr Kim told Singapore's PM "the entire world is watching". Mr Trump has called it a "one-time shot" at peace.

The US hopes the summit will kick-start a process that eventually sees Mr Kim give up nuclear weapons.

The meeting that could change the world

The two leaders have had an extraordinary up-and-down relationship over the past 18 months, trading insults and threatening war before abruptly changing tack and moving towards a face-to-face meeting.

How has the day unfolded?

Because so little is known about the reclusive North Korean leader, even the plane he would be flying in from Pyongyang to Singapore became the subject of speculation.

The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes said three aircraft took off from Pyongyang - an Ilyushin transport plane carrying Mr Kim's armoured limousine, then an Air China 747 which normally carries the Chinese president, and lastly Mr Kim's personal jet, a Soviet-era Ilyushin 62.

It eventually became apparent that he had arrived in the Air China plane after Singapore's foreign minister posted a photo of him greeting Mr Kim on Instagram.

Secrecy surrounded the five-star St Regis hotel where he is staying too. Only North Korean media workers, dressed in identical black suits, were able to move freely around the building and tourists taking photos in communal areas were accosted by guards, Reuters news agency reported.

Mr Trump landed in Singapore later in the evening having flown from a contentious G7 meeting in Canada. He told a reporter he felt "very good" about the summit before heading to his hotel, the Shangri La, about half a mile from Mr Kim's.

How did we get here?

Mr Trump's first year in office was marked by bitter exchanges with Mr Kim as North Korea conducted several ballistic missile tests in defiance of international warnings.

The US president vowed to unleash "fire and fury" if Pyongyang kept threatening the US. He also referred to Mr Kim as "little rocket man".

In return, Mr Kim called him "mentally deranged" and a "dotard".

Despite the White House's "maximum pressure" campaign, the North remained defiant and carried out its sixth nuclear test in September 2017. Soon after, Mr Kim declared that his country had achieved its mission of becoming a nuclear state, with missiles that could reach the US.

But in early 2018, North Korea began attempts to improve relations with South Korea by sending a team and delegates to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

In March, Mr Trump surprised the world by accepting an invitation from Mr Kim - delivered via Seoul - to meet in person.

Since then, the path to the summit has been rocky, with Mr Trump at one point calling it off completely. But after some diplomatic scrambling, the two leaders will now sit down together.

Singapore is only the third country Mr Kim has visited since he became leader in 2011.

What do the two sides want?

The US wants North Korea to get rid of its nuclear weapons in an irreversible manner that can be verified internationally. Only when steps begin to be taken in that direction will it "receive relief" from the grip of UN sanctions, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis recently said.

But this does not mean the US is expecting to get a final deal in Singapore. President Trump has described it as a "get-to-know-you situation" and said: "It's going to be a process."

Analysts say that Mr Kim, by winning the prestige of a meeting with the world's most powerful leader, has already gained a victory. They also question why he would give up his nuclear weapons after pushing so hard to get them.

Some say he would never do it, unless everyone else on the Korean peninsula disarmed too - including the US.

However, Mr Kim has also said he now wants to focus on building the North Korean economy - and thus wants sanctions relief and international investment.

The question is what concessions he is willing to make, and whether he will stick to any promises. Pledges to scrap the nuclear programme have been made before by his predecessors.

What could actually happen?

It's hard to say, but Mr Trump has signalled that they could sign an agreement to formally end the Korean War, which ended in a truce in 1953. Doing that would probably be "the easy part", he said.

The US president has also said that if he thinks things are going badly, he will walk out of the meeting, but if things go well, Mr Kim could receive an invitation to the White House.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has met Mr Kim twice in recent months, said he believed he "is prepared to denuclearise" and agree "big and bold" changes.

But the North Koreans have not given much away about their position.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44429240
 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is epic...<a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxNews</a> host refers to <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> and Kim Jon Un as “the two dictators” <a href="https://t.co/iDtJf83nkZ">pic.twitter.com/iDtJf83nkZ</a></p>— Jamal Dajani جمال (@JamalDajani) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamalDajani/status/1005874592001359872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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This is a fantastic opportunity for those suffering from Trump derangement syndrome.

Others can only hope that somehow this is the start of a process where the people of North Korea can finally get some relief from isolation.
 
Trump, Pompeo positive ahead of North Korean summit; officials meet to close differences

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday his historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore could “work out very nicely” as officials from both countries met to narrow differences on how to end a nuclear stand-off on the Korean peninsula.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the preparatory talks were moving quite rapidly and “and we anticipate that they will come to their logical conclusion even more quickly than we anticipated.”

The summit provides “an unprecedented opportunity to change the trajectory of our relationship and bring peace and prosperity” to North Korea, Pompeo told a news conference on the eve of the summit.

However, he played down the possibility of a quick breakthrough and said the summit should set the framework for “the hard work that will follow”, insisting that North Korea had to move toward complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization.

Sanctions on North Korea would remain in place until that had happened, Pompeo said. “If diplomacy does not move in the right direction...those measures will increase.”

Kim and Trump arrived in tropical Singapore on Sunday for the first ever face-to-face meeting by leaders of two countries that have been enemies since the 1950-1953 Korean War.

Although gaps remain over what denuclearization would entail, Trump sounded a positive note in a lunch meeting with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

“We’ve got a very interesting meeting ... tomorrow, and I just think it’s going to work out very nicely,” Trump said.

Lobster bisque, beef tenderloin and ice cream were on the lunch menu, and there was also an early birthday cake for Trump, who turns 72 on Thursday.

Kim remained ensconced in the heavily guarded St Regis Hotel, where he is staying. There was also no sign of his sister, Kim Yo Jong, who has accompanied him to Singapore.

Some people were grumbling in the wealthy city-state because of traffic jams caused by the summit and the cost of hosting two leaders with massive security needs. Lee has said the summit would cost Singapore about S$20 million ($15 million), more than half of which would go on security.

“Thanks PM Lee for spending $20 million of taxpayers money, which can ... help a lot of needy families in Singapore to survive,” posted one Facebook user. Others complained about the traffic jams in downtown Singapore.

Lee said the cost was worthwhile.

“It is our contribution to an international endeavor which is in our profound interest,” he told reporters on Sunday.

“NEW ERA”

Trump and Kim are staying in separate hotels in the famous Orchard Road area of Singapore, dotted with high-rise luxury apartment blocks, offices and glittering shopping malls. Traffic was held up in the steamy midday sun and scores of bystanders were penned in by police when Trump went to meet Lee.

Similar scenes were seen on Sunday when Kim and Trump arrived in the city, and when Kim went to meet Lee. Their hotels are cordoned off with heavy security.

Commenting for the first time on the summit, North Korea’s state-run KCNA news agency earlier said the two sides would exchange “wide-ranging and profound views” to re-set relations. It heralded the summit as part of a “changed era”.

Discussions would focus on “the issue of building a permanent and durable peace-keeping mechanism on the Korean peninsula, the issue of realizing the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and other issues of mutual concern,” KCNA said.

In the lead up to the summit, North Korea rejected any unilateral nuclear disarmament, and KCNA’s reference to denuclearization of the peninsula has historically meant that Pyongyang wants the United States to remove its “nuclear umbrella” protecting South Korea and Japan.

Many experts on North Korea, one of the most insular and unpredictable countries in the world, remain skeptical Kim will ever completely abandon nuclear weapons. They believe Kim’s latest engagement is aimed at getting the United States to ease the crippling sanctions that have squeezed the impoverished country.

A Trump administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. side was entering the talks with a sense of optimism and an equal dose of scepticism given North Korea’s long history of developing nuclear weapons.

“We will not be surprised by any scenario,” said the official.

The official said Trump and Kim would hold a one-on-one meeting on Tuesday that could last up to two hours. He described it as a “get to know you plus” meeting.

Later, they would be joined by their respective negotiating teams for discussions that could last another hour.

The summit’s venue is the Capella hotel on Sentosa, a resort island off Singapore’s port with luxury hotels, a Universal Studios theme park and man-made beaches.

Trump initially touted the potential for a grand bargain with North Korea to rid itself of a nuclear missile program that has advanced rapidly to threaten the United States.

But he has since lowered expectations, backing away from an original demand for North Korea’s swift denuclearization.

He has said the talks would be more about starting a relationship with Kim for a negotiating process that would take more than one summit


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...cials-meet-to-close-differences-idUSKBN1J609X
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman arrived in Singapore for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrumpKimSummit?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TrumpKimSummit</a>. He tweeted he was there to "give whatever support is needed to my friends" but President Trump last week said he would not be part of the actual talks. <a href="https://t.co/7CwgDbQB2A">pic.twitter.com/7CwgDbQB2A</a></p>— AJ+ (@ajplus) <a href="https://twitter.com/ajplus/status/1006247072478068736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Talks set to begin tomorrow.A Historic occasion.

Lets see if anything will actually be gained from this or just an ego match.
 
Talks set to begin tomorrow.A Historic occasion.

Lets see if anything will actually be gained from this or just an ego match.

It is good to see them actually talk which can only mean a better understanding and improve chances of North Korea joining the rest of the world.

But one thing is for sure, regardless of what happens the Trump deranged syndrome will kick in and Trump will be blamed, abused, mocked and slammed for something.
 
Talks set to begin tomorrow.A Historic occasion.

Lets see if anything will actually be gained from this or just an ego match.

Both leaders love attention and they will get it.

Do people seriously believe North Korea will suddenly get rid of the all their nukes? This is what Trump says he wants and nothing less, unless he changes his tune.

Just look at them taking selfies with people. :)

 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">US President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realdonaldtrump</a> will meet North Korea Chairman Kim Jong-un on 12 June in Singapore. <br><br>Tweet with these hashtags to unlock a special <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrumpKimSummit?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TrumpKimSummit</a> emoji. &#55357;&#56391; <a href="https://t.co/THa3IRlnTi">pic.twitter.com/THa3IRlnTi</a></p>— Twitter Government (@TwitterGov) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterGov/status/1005661879170052102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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'It was not easy to get here': Kim and Trump meet in Singapore

Singapore: US president Donald Trump has emerged from an historic 40-minute private meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to declare the pair will "solve a big problem".

The men joined officials in a meeting after the private conversation, which Trump had said was required for him to determine whether Kim was serious about denuclearisation.

As they sat down at a long table with their teams at the Capella hotel, Trump said: "We look forward to working this out together."

Trump was joined by his hawkish national security advisor John Bolton, US secretary of State Mike Pompeo and chief of staff John Kelly.

Kim was smiling, and accompanied on his side of the table by North Korean foreign minister Ri yong-ho, and Kim Yong-chol and Ri Su-yong, vice chairmen of the worker's party.

"It will be done," said Trump.

The world is waiting to find out what "it" is, and whether North Korea has agreed to the US demand for complete and verifiable denuclearisation, and on what terms.

History has been made in Singapore, with the first meeting between leaders of the United States and North Korea, which has been isolated from the world for decades as it defied the United Nations Security Council and built a nuclear arsenal and aggressively tested intercontinental ballistic missiles.

At 9am Kim shook hands with Trump and greeted him in English: "Nice to meet you, Mr President."

When they strode out in front of the flags of both nations for the camera-made moment of the historic handshake, Kim smiled, while Trump talked and kept a steady gaze.

"We're going to have a great discussion, and I think tremendous success," Trump said as the two men sat down briefly before TV cameras. "We will have a terrific relationship, I have no doubt" .

Kim, speaking through an interpreter, said: "There were fetters and wrong practices that at times covered our eyes and ears, but we overcame everything to come this far."

Both men looked tense. Kim leaning forward in chair. Trump tapping his hands together repeatedly.
The media were then ushered out of the room.

The two men later emerged from their meeting looking relaxed as they walked the open-air corridors. Trump said the meeting had been "very good".

The US has publicly said it wanted North Korea to end its nuclear program in return for an economic boost. North Korea has previously said it wanted a step-by-step approach and a security guarantee in return.

North Korea and South Korea had already committed to signing a peace treaty to end the Korean War by year's end, but this would also require US agreement.

Rather than a finalised deal, today's summit, if successful, was expected to start the dialogue process and set a path an terms for denuclearisation.

North Korean and US negotiators met three times on Monday, and talked late into the night, over differences in their definition of denuclearisation, South Korean media reported.

North Korea's definition of "complete denuclearisation" reportedly covers the removal of the US nuclear umbrella from the Korean Peninsula as a security guarantee, in return for the permanent dismantling of North Korea's nuclear program.

Any downgrading of the US military presence in South Korea would likely be resisted by the White House and unpopular in South Korea.

Trump will hold a press conference this afternoon

Minutes before his arrival at the meeting, Trump tweeted that top White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow had suffered a heart attack and was being treated at a hospital back in Washington.

"Our Great Larry Kudlow, who has been working so hard on trade and the economy, has just suffered a heart attack. He is now in Walter Reed Medical Centre," Trump said on Twitter.

A long-time television commentator, Kudlow, 70, was hired by Trump in March to replace Gary Cohn as director of the National Economic Council.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said later of Trump adviser Larry Kudlow: "he's doing well."

Kudlow's wife, Judy, said he was doing "fine," according to Robert Costa, a Washington Post reporter, in a Twitter posting. In another tweet, Costa said Kudlow "is up and talking tonight and spoke by phone with Dr Art Laffer," citing two people close to Kudlow.

Kudlow, a former Ronald Reagan economic adviser and Wall Street economist, has played a key role in ongoing trade talks.

Kudlow accompanied Trump this weekend to the annual G7 meeting in Quebec, where the president traded barbs with the leaders of Canada, Germany and France over trade.

On Sunday, Kudlow said on CNN's State of the Union that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "really kind of stabbed us in the back" after criticising US tariffs on imported steel and aluminum and Trump's positions on trade in a news conference following the summit.

On Sunday, he accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of stabbing the US "in the back."

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/k...t-attack-grabs-attention-20180612-p4zkx7.html
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Our Great Larry Kudlow, who has been working so hard on trade and the economy, has just suffered a heart attack. He is now in Walter Reed Medical Center.</p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1006334219759575040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed an agreement at the conclusion of Tuesday's historic summit. Here's what it says, according to a photo of Trump's signed document:

Joint Statement of President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the Singapore Summit

President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) held a first, historic summit in Singapore on June 12, 2018.

President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un conducted a comprehensive, in-depth, and sincere exchange of opinions on the issues related to the establishment of new U.S.-DPRK relations and the building of a lasting and robust peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. President Trump committed to provide security guarantees to the DPRK, and Chairman Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Convinced that the establishment of new U.S.-DPRK relations will contribute to the peace and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula and of the world, and recognizing that mutual confidence building can promote the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un state the following:

The United States and the DPRK commit to establish new U.S.-DPRK relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity.
The United States and the DPRK will join their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.
Reaffirming the April 27, 2018 Panmunjom Declaration, the DPRK commits to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The United States and the DPRK commit to recovering POW/MIA remains, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified.
Having acknowledged that the U.S.-DPRK summit — the first in history — was an epochal event of great significance in overcoming decades of tensions and hostilities between the two countries and for the opening up of a new future, President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un commit to implement the stipulations in this joint statement fully and expeditiously. The United States and the DPRK commit to hold follow-on negotiations, led by the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, and a relevant high-level DPRK official, at the earliest possible date, to implement the outcomes of the U.S.-DPRK summit.

President Donald J Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea have committed to cooperate for the development of new U.S.-DPRK relations and for the promotion of peace, prosperity, and security of the Korean Peninsula and of the world.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/12/full-text-of-the-trump-kim-summit-agreement.html
 
Good on Trump. It's a historical agreement no matter what the opponents claim. The guy is pure lunatic but credit where it's due.
 
It is good to see them actually talk which can only mean a better understanding and improve chances of North Korea joining the rest of the world.

But one thing is for sure, regardless of what happens the Trump deranged syndrome will kick in and Trump will be blamed, abused, mocked and slammed for something.

I know you are a big Trump fan Gilly, but what is it you think he will bring to the table which no previous US leader has been able to? Why would North Korea give up their nukes now when they wouldn't previously?
 
I know you are a big Trump fan Gilly, but what is it you think he will bring to the table which no previous US leader has been able to? Why would North Korea give up their nukes now when they wouldn't previously?

Perhaps all they want is someone humble enough to give them the time of the day and listen to them. Dennis Rodman friend of Kim Jong Un said in his interview to CNN said that when he went to Obama with Kim's message he wouldn't even listen to it, not once but multiple times.

Trump also said he is willing to take off American soldiers from the Korean peninsula. Perhaps the North Korean's see in Trump a bold leader who is willing to make bold decisions be they negative or positive.
 
Five quotes from an extraordinary presser

After signing an agreement with Kim Jong-un scant on detail, President Trump held an extraordinary press conference where he held court as reporters fired questions.

In case you missed it, here are some of the memorable, and frankly, jaw-dropping, things he said.

On North Korean prisoners: "I think they are one of the great winners today."

On military exercises with South Korea: "We will be stopping the war games which will save us a tremendous amount of money... Plus I think it is very provocative."

On the need to check notes from his meeting: "I have one of the great memories of all time. I don’t have to do that."

On apologising if things don't go as planned: "I think he's gonna do these things. I may be wrong. I may stand before you in six months and say, hey, I was wrong," he said, before adding: "I don’t know that I’ll ever admit that. But I’ll find some kind of an excuse."

On why he thinks experts are wrong about denuclearisation taking 15 years: "I think whoever wrote that is wrong... There will be a point at which when you are 20 percent through you can’t go back. I had an uncle who was a great professor for, I believe, 40 years at MIT. And I used to discuss nuclear with him all the time. He was a great expert. He was a great brilliant genius."

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-asia-44411114
 
Perhaps all they want is someone humble enough to give them the time of the day and listen to them. Dennis Rodman friend of Kim Jong Un said in his interview to CNN said that when he went to Obama with Kim's message he wouldn't even listen to it, not once but multiple times.

Trump also said he is willing to take off American soldiers from the Korean peninsula. Perhaps the North Korean's see in Trump a bold leader who is willing to make bold decisions be they negative or positive.

This is where i get confused.

I thought the West, and the States in particular, do not negotiate with terrorists or those committing human rights violations.

Now correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Kim known for assasinating his opposition, feeding his uncles body's to dogs, for surpressing his own people, for torturing suspected "spies" and firing medium range missiles over Japan?

Does one have to be a lunatic to get American on the negotiating table?

What will Iran, Syria or any rogue state be thinking now? What sort of precedent does this set?
 
There will always be those who criticise Trump, and understandably so, but there comes a point for reasonable people when some grace is needed. Even a broken watch tells the right time now and again.

For example George Galloway (who roundly mocks “Tiny Hands” on his radio show every week) sent personal congratulations to Trump on Twitter for going through with today’s summit.

Love or hate the guy, he has managed the North Korea situation far better than any of his predecessors up to now. I am interested to see what happens next with this.
 
There will always be those who criticise Trump, and understandably so, but there comes a point for reasonable people when some grace is needed. Even a broken watch tells the right time now and again.

For example George Galloway (who roundly mocks “Tiny Hands” on his radio show every week) sent personal congratulations to Trump on Twitter for going through with today’s summit.

Love or hate the guy, he has managed the North Korea situation far better than any of his predecessors up to now. I am interested to see what happens next with this.

Not sure I agree with you. Seems like one rule for one and one rule for another.
 
I know you are a big Trump fan Gilly, but what is it you think he will bring to the table which no previous US leader has been able to? Why would North Korea give up their nukes now when they wouldn't previously?

I'm not a big fan of Trump, he has little impact on us here in Australia and I think he has a big ego and his personality is too large for me. The only difference between myself and most is I keep everything about Trump in perspective and I dont find it the need to prove myself by denigrating him at every opportunity.

What I think he bought to the table was honesty, I feel that Kim felt that Trump is not your regular politician and was going to solve the problem one way or another and the best outcome for Kim was to negotiate. I think that Trump made it clear he will act as required.
 
This is where i get confused.

I thought the West, and the States in particular, do not negotiate with terrorists or those committing human rights violations.

Now correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Kim known for assasinating his opposition, feeding his uncles body's to dogs, for surpressing his own people, for torturing suspected "spies" and firing medium range missiles over Japan?

Does one have to be a lunatic to get American on the negotiating table?

What will Iran, Syria or any rogue state be thinking now? What sort of precedent does this set?

The west/US have negotiated with Saddam, Bashar, Gadaffi, Hamas and numerous other terrorist organisations. Indonesia is currently committing massive human rights violations right now in West Papua and they trade with the west/US. Your argument has no merit.
 
I'm not a big fan of Trump, he has little impact on us here in Australia and I think he has a big ego and his personality is too large for me. The only difference between myself and most is I keep everything about Trump in perspective and I dont find it the need to prove myself by denigrating him at every opportunity.

What I think he bought to the table was honesty, I feel that Kim felt that Trump is not your regular politician and was going to solve the problem one way or another and the best outcome for Kim was to negotiate. I think that Trump made it clear he will act as required.

He will act how? From my reading of it, Trump has made conditional promises, and Kim's offer to denuclearise is very vague and open ended. It could be conditional on the rest of the world also doing the same. I'm not sure this isn't all just a show from both sides with nothing much gained other than PR.
 
This is where i get confused.

I thought the West, and the States in particular, do not negotiate with terrorists or those committing human rights violations.

Now correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Kim known for assasinating his opposition, feeding his uncles body's to dogs, for surpressing his own people, for torturing suspected "spies" and firing medium range missiles over Japan?

Does one have to be a lunatic to get American on the negotiating table?

What will Iran, Syria or any rogue state be thinking now? What sort of precedent does this set?

In Clinton era USA gave North Korea $2 Billion without anything in return. Obviously the main issues the world has was their stubbornness to acquire nukes and attack South Korea. Now they made the initiative and expressed the willingness to give up past ambitions. NK has released American hostages among other things and have clearly demonstrated that the are serious about their claims.
 
In Clinton era USA gave North Korea $2 Billion without anything in return. Obviously the main issues the world has was their stubbornness to acquire nukes and attack South Korea. Now they made the initiative and expressed the willingness to give up past ambitions. NK has released American hostages among other things and have clearly demonstrated that the are serious about their claims.

Do you really think North Korea will give up nuclear weapons unilaterally because Trump asked them and Obama didn't?
 
Do you really think North Korea will give up nuclear weapons unilaterally because Trump asked them and Obama didn't?

I don't care about the political point scorings.

Just a few months ago when these two were threatening each other the world felt like a scary place to live in. I am glad they met each other and are working towards sanity.

We will have to wait and see. The less nukes roaming in the world the better.
 
There will always be those who criticise Trump, and understandably so, but there comes a point for reasonable people when some grace is needed. Even a broken watch tells the right time now and again.

For example George Galloway (who roundly mocks “Tiny Hands” on his radio show every week) sent personal congratulations to Trump on Twitter for going through with today’s summit.

Love or hate the guy, he has managed the North Korea situation far better than any of his predecessors up to now. I am interested to see what happens next with this.

North Korea will not be giving up it's Nukes. Japan and South Korea will not feel sorry until this happens and will need the US to keep it's forces in the region. A win win for North Korea and the US but the Japanese and South Korean , just like much have the public have been mugged off by this pantomime.
 
North Korea will not be giving up it's Nukes. Japan and South Korea will not feel sorry until this happens and will need the US to keep it's forces in the region. A win win for North Korea and the US but the Japanese and South Korean , just like much have the public have been mugged off by this pantomime.

Spot on.
 
My opinion has always been that US Presidents have only limited room to manoeuvre when it comes to foreign policy, the security forces including the military would be the ones directing operations. After all, Presidents come and go, so why would a country put it's security in the hands of one person?

Not sure who the advisors would be, but I would imagine that any deal with North Korea would have been decided behind the scenes regardless of who the President was. I doubt this move can be attributed to Trump any more than the bin Laden hit could be credited to Barrack Obama. This is all stuff which has probably been planned for a long time behind the scenes.
 
Good that diplomacy is being used to end one of the world's longest standoffs. However, this is all going to come down to what the definition of "denuclearisation" is going to be. The statement is very vague on this so Kim can interpret it however he wants.

Find it hard to believe North Korea will give up their nuclear deterrent given the US's history of regime change across the world, and the US's duplicity in signing a nuclear deal in Iran only to walk away from it despite Iran ADHERING to the terms.

This is not uncharted waters however for the US to attempt diplomacy with North Korea. There was a previous deal with North Korea called the Agreed Framework in 1994 - which was never properly implemented thanks to Republican wreckers in Congress.
 
People are focused on Trump but to me the action Kim Jong Un took are far more touching.

He isn't his father, he isn't his grand father. He didn't ask for it, he inherited North Korea and all the mess. He is surrounded by military advisors many of them with age old thinking. He is a young kid and was only 27 when tasked to lead his nation. It must have taken a lot of courage, self-believe and strength on his part to give up the life-long goals of his father and grandfather. Give up their dreams and to take quite a few bold steps towards peace.

He is taking steps that non of his forefathers ever took. I believe in him. He is young man who grew up and went to school in the middle of Europe. It must have left a mark on him. When you have seen so much progress in the rest of the world and then go back home there is no way you can continue to act ignorant and remain closed off to the rest of the world.

Kim Jong Un demonstrated what I hope for the future. The younger generation, the generation of the future willing to give up the glories of the past, willing to give up prejudice and willing to give age old grudges. For a more peaceful and better world to live in.

I wish our nation, Pakistan and India learn something from this.
 
Good that diplomacy is being used to end one of the world's longest standoffs. However, this is all going to come down to what the definition of "denuclearisation" is going to be. The statement is very vague on this so Kim can interpret it however he wants.

Find it hard to believe North Korea will give up their nuclear deterrent given the US's history of regime change across the world, and the US's duplicity in signing a nuclear deal in Iran only to walk away from it despite Iran ADHERING to the terms.

This is not uncharted waters however for the US to attempt diplomacy with North Korea. There was a previous deal with North Korea called the Agreed Framework in 1994 - which was never properly implemented thanks to Republican wreckers in Congress.

This more about giving North Korea a position in the world, nothing has been achieved in the last 50 years by ostracising North Korea, the people have been left in the cold with nowhere to go. Its time to build relationships and develop trust.

The leaders of the G7 have done nothing more than give more power to Putin by excluding him, they all had a great time staying in 6 star hotels and dining on the best foods but what did they achieve, a comunique that offers nothing. What was the biggest achievment of the G7 meeting.

Good on Trump for doing something that may or may not solve the Korean issue, at least he tried.
 
Do you really think North Korea will give up nuclear weapons unilaterally because Trump asked them and Obama didn't?

We do know that while Obama sat on his hands the North Koreans did build nuclear weapons so what did Obama achieve by not talking to North Korea. Trump has to deal with a nuclear armed North Korea because Obama did nothing.
 
We do know that while Obama sat on his hands the North Koreans did build nuclear weapons so what did Obama achieve by not talking to North Korea. Trump has to deal with a nuclear armed North Korea because Obama did nothing.

Obama was the most useless president we ever had.
 
This more about giving North Korea a position in the world, nothing has been achieved in the last 50 years by ostracising North Korea, the people have been left in the cold with nowhere to go. Its time to build relationships and develop trust.

The leaders of the G7 have done nothing more than give more power to Putin by excluding him, they all had a great time staying in 6 star hotels and dining on the best foods but what did they achieve, a comunique that offers nothing. What was the biggest achievment of the G7 meeting.

Good on Trump for doing something that may or may not solve the Korean issue, at least he tried.

Are you suggesting Trump cares about the people in North Korea? lol
 
We do know that while Obama sat on his hands the North Koreans did build nuclear weapons so what did Obama achieve by not talking to North Korea. Trump has to deal with a nuclear armed North Korea because Obama did nothing.

As I already said, I doubt that decisions that affect the security of the US are going to be left in the hands of a single man, whether Obama or Trump. These guys are the figureheads, there will be other people behind the scenes who will rubber stamp foreign policy of that nature.
 
The North Koreans are many things, but they are not stupid. They know that Trump's (hence the USA's) agreements are not worth the paper they're written on.

Just look at the Paris Climate Accord, the Iran nuclear agreement - the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, all of which the USA signed onto, and which the USA (Trump) withdrew from. Meaning that the commitments by the US Government (The signature of the USA President) meant zilch as far as the new President was concerned.

If I were Kim Jong-un, I would ask myself "What's to stop the USA invading North Korea and removing me as soon as my nukes and missiles are destroyed or disabled and I can't threaten to retaliate with nukes anymore?"
 
The North Koreans are many things, but they are not stupid. They know that Trump's (hence the USA's) agreements are not worth the paper they're written on.

Just look at the Paris Climate Accord, the Iran nuclear agreement - the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, all of which the USA signed onto, and which the USA (Trump) withdrew from. Meaning that the commitments by the US Government (The signature of the USA President) meant zilch as far as the new President was concerned.

If I were Kim Jong-un, I would ask myself "What's to stop the USA invading North Korea and removing me as soon as my nukes and missiles are destroyed or disabled and I can't threaten to retaliate with nukes anymore?"

I think this situation is a bit different. I feel like China is at play behind the scenes.

Don't think NK would have agreed to a meeting without China being ok with it (hence the two meeting before the change in tone from NK).

Long term, I think this ploy is to get the US to remove/reduce its military presence from the Korean peninsula. Or at least that would be one of the demands by NK to a path of denuclearization.
 
I think this situation is a bit different. I feel like China is at play behind the scenes.

Don't think NK would have agreed to a meeting without China being ok with it (hence the two meeting before the change in tone from NK).

Long term, I think this ploy is to get the US to remove/reduce its military presence from the Korean peninsula. Or at least that would be one of the demands by NK to a path of denuclearization.
Perhaps. But it's also a fact that (partly due to China trying to fend off US pressure vis-a-vis the USA/China trade deficit discussions) China also started complying with the increased sanctions on North Korea, making the North Korean economy situation even worse. When it comes to giving up or not giving up it's nukes, North Korea's not going to trust even China.
 
Perhaps. But it's also a fact that (partly due to China trying to fend off US pressure vis-a-vis the USA/China trade deficit discussions) China also started complying with the increased sanctions on North Korea, making the North Korean economy situation even worse. When it comes to giving up or not giving up it's nukes, North Korea's not going to trust even China.

China only started complying because of increased international pressure but even then there were reports that China was repainting ships and trading with NK.

I agree about the trading situation, China is looking for an out. NK isn't as dumb as we think, I'm sure they won't be giving up their nukes that quickly. They would want some sort of defense assurance, maybe even get China involved in terms of defense deal.
 
US President Donald Trump has renewed sanctions on North Korea, citing an "extraordinary threat" from its nuclear weapons - just 10 days after saying there was no risk from Pyongyang.

"There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea," he tweeted on 13 June, a day after meeting the country's leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore.

The move came as the US and South Korea cancelled two more training exercises.

The Pentagon said the goal was to support diplomatic negotiations.

It follows the decision earlier this week to suspend a major joint military exercise between the US and South Korea that had been planned for August.

President Trump promised to end the annual "war games" between the allies in an unexpected concession at his summit with Mr Kim, calling them "provocative" and "expensive".

That came as a shock to many, as the US had previously argued that the drills were purely defensive and key to its military alliance with Seoul.

Has Trump changed his tone on North Korea?

It does sound that way, but the US has had a "national emergency" in place with regard to North Korea since 2008. Since then, presidents have routinely renewed that status - and the anti-Pyongyang sanctions that go with it.

President Trump extended the national emergency on Friday due to "the existence and risk of proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material on the Korean Peninsula and the actions and policies of the Government of North Korea".

These "continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States", he said in a notice to Congress.

Democrats say the latest White House language contradicts the president's earlier boasts about the success of the Singapore summit. In another tweet on 13 June, he said Americans could "sleep well tonight!".

"The report of President Trump's own administration completely undercuts his statements over the last few weeks," said the Senate's top Democrat, Chuck Schumer.

"We have to treat these negotiations far more seriously than just as a photo op," he added. "Saying the North Korea problem is solved doesn't make it so."

At the historic meeting in Singapore, the first between a sitting US president and a leader of North Korea, Mr Trump and Mr Kim signed a statement in which the US offered "security guarantees" to North Korea, and the North pledged to "work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" - without defining what that meant.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that sanctions against North Korea will remain in place as negotiations continue over its nuclear arsenal.

However North Korean state media has reported that Mr Trump agreed to "lift sanctions" as relations progress.


Trump Kim summit: Win-win, or a Kim win?
Why do the training exercises matter?

The Pentagon announced on Friday that US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis had "indefinitely suspended" some joint military exercises with South Korea, following the president's commitment at the Singapore summit.

The drills are held in South Korea with local forces and US soldiers stationed there.

North Korea has furiously objected to the exercises for many years, branding them provocative and a rehearsal for invasion. China too has said they do not serve the cause of peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Pentagon press secretary Dana White said the cancelled drills included Operation Ulchi Freedom Guardian, which was scheduled for August and set to involve more than 17,500 US service members, and two Korean Marine Exchange Programme training exercises scheduled for the next three months.

It is not yet clear if major US drills slated for spring 2019 will also be suspended.

The decision to end the military exercises has been widely criticised as a major concession to North Korea, while the joint declaration Mr Trump and Mr Kim signed at the end of the Singapore summit has been criticised as lacking in detail and concrete commitments from the North.

After meeting Mr Kim in Singapore, Mr Trump told reporters: "Under the circumstances, that we're negotiating... I think it's inappropriate to be having war games.”

Republican Senator John McCain has criticised the president's stance on the exercises, calling the suspensions a mistake.

"We must not impose upon ourselves the burden of providing so-called 'good faith' concessions as the price for continued dialogue," he said after the Singapore summit.

This is not the first time that the US and South Korea have delayed joint exercises.

Earlier in 2018, for example, they agreed to postpone drills during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea, amid a thaw in inter-Korean relations.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44584957
 
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The White House said Thursday that President Donald Trump received a new letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and responded quickly with a letter of his own. The correspondence, following up on their Singapore summit, came amid fresh concerns over Pyongyang's commitment to denuclearization.

Trump early Thursday tweeted his thanks to the North Korean leader "for your nice letter — I look forward to seeing you soon!"

The White House did not provide details on the specific content of the letter from Kim, received Wednesday, or of Trump's reply. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the letters addressed their commitment to work toward North Korea's "complete denuclearization."

Sanders said no second meeting is "locked in" as a follow-up to the Singapore summit in June, but they remain open to discussions.

Trump in his tweet expressed gratitude to Kim "for keeping your word" on the return of the remains of more than 50 American service members killed during the Korean War. Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. military leaders received the remains in Hawaii during a somber ceremony on Wednesday.

The latest letter from Kim arrived on the heels of concerns over North Korea's ballistic missile program and commitment to denuclearization. Senior Trump administration officials have urged patience, cautioning that the process of denuclearizing North Korea and removing the threat of its long-range missiles will take time.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was headed to an Asian security meeting in Singapore, where a meeting this weekend with North Korea's foreign minister was possible.

Trump has sought to show progress from his June 12 summit with Kim. He said during a Tuesday rally in Tampa, Florida, that the U.S. was "doing well" with North Korea and noted the return of detained Americans and Pyongyang's ceasing of nuclear testing and missile tests. "A lot of good things are happening. No tests. No rockets flying. But we'll see what happens," Trump said.

U.S. officials have been closely watching North Korea's willingness to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

The Washington Post on Tuesday reported that U.S. intelligence officials suspect that North Korea is continuing to build new missiles in the same research facility that manufactured the country's ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.

The Post also reported that North Korean officials have talked about how they plan to deceive the U.S. about the size of their arsenal of missiles and nuclear warheads and facilities.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/white-house-trump-receives-letter-kim-jong-56986785
 
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has accused the US of acting in "bad faith" during the summit earlier this year with President Donald Trump, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

He also said peace in the Korean peninsula would depend entirely on Washington.

Mr Kim made his remarks at Thursday's summit with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok.

President Putin accepted an invitation to visit North Korea, KCNA reported.

The visit would take place "at a convenient time," the news agency added.

Kim Jong-un reportedly told Vladimir Putin that "the situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point".

He warned the situation "may return to its original state as the US took an unilateral attitude in bad faith" during recent talks.

It comes a week after Pyongyang accused the US of derailing peace talks.

The secret world of Russia's North Korean workers
What to make of the Hanoi summit collapse?
Negotiations between the two countries broke down during a summit in Vietnam in February, with no deal reached about North Korea's nuclear weapons.

Those talks reportedly stalled over North Korea's demand for full economic sanctions relief in return for some denuclearisation commitments - a deal the US was not willing to make.

During Thursday's summit in Vladivostok, President Putin attempted to act as arbiter, saying Mr Kim needed international security guarantees if he was to end his nuclear programme.

Such guarantees would need to be offered within a multinational framework, the Russian leader added.

"We need to... return to a state where international law, not the law of the strongest, determines the situation in the world," Mr Putin said.

Mr Kim greeted Russian officials warmly when he arrived in Russia on Wednesday.

He praised the summit as a "very meaningful one-on-one exchange," and said he hoped to usher in a "new heyday" between Moscow and Pyongyang.

What do we know about the summit?
Nothing has been publicly reported about agreements on US sanctions and North Korea's nuclear weapons.

Mr Putin has now gone on to two-day summit in China, where he said he would inform China's leadership about the talks. He also said he was willing to share details with the US.

According to Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin believes the six-party talks on North Korea are the only efficient way of addressing nuclear weapons on the peninsula.

Those talks, which began in 2003, involve the two Koreas as well as China, Japan, Russia and the US. They are currently stalled, however.

"There are no other efficient international mechanisms at the moment," Mr Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.

"But, on the other hand, efforts are being made by other countries. Here all efforts merit support as long as they really aim at de-nuclearisation and resolving the problem of the two Koreas."

What do both sides want?
This visit was being widely viewed as an opportunity for North Korea to show it has powerful allies following the breakdown of the talks with the US.

The country has blamed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for the collapse of the Hanoi summit. Earlier this month North Korea demanded that Mr Pompeo be removed from nuclear talks, accusing him of "talking nonsense" and asking for someone "more careful" to replace him.

The summit is also an opportunity for Pyongyang to show that its economic future does not depend solely on the US, and for Russia to show that it is an important player on the Korean peninsula.

President Putin has been eager to meet the North Korean leader for quite some time. Yet amid the two Trump-Kim summits, the Kremlin has been somewhat sidelined.

Russia, like the US and China, is uncomfortable with North Korea being a nuclear state.

How close are Russia and North Korea?
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union (of which Russia is the main successor state) maintained close military and trade links with its communist ally, North Korea, for ideological and strategic reasons.

After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, trade links with post-communist Russia shrank and North Korea leaned towards China as its main ally.

Under President Putin, Russia recovered economically and in 2014 he wrote off most of North Korea's Soviet-era debt in a major goodwill gesture.

While it is arguable how much leverage Russia has with the North today, Mr Kim's regime regards it as one of the least hostile foreign powers.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48062071
 
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