HANOI – A second historic summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jung Un was cut short in Vietnam on Thursday, with Mr. Trump saying that “sometimes you have to walk, and this was just one of those times”, explaining he wanted to get a better agreement.
The pair of leaders were in Hanoi for the high-level talks to work towards the denuclearization of North Korea in exchange for sanctions relief and, though a signing was scheduled in advance, Trump said he did not feel it was “appropriate” at this time.
“I could’ve signed something today,” he said in a press conference, but said he wanted to do it “right”, not just have a document to sign. Trump said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who answered some questions during the presser, would continue to negotiate with Kim.
“Im never afraid to walk away from a deal,” Trump added, explaining that “basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn’t do that”
Trump is holding a press conference from Hanoi.
Earlier in the day, both Trump and Kim had expressed a combined hope for improving relations between North Korea, formally known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and the United States — with Washington seeking full denuclearization.
The DPRK leader said that if he was not ready to denuclearize he “wouldn’t be here” in response to a query from Reuters reporter Jeff Mason, to which Trump said “that might be the best answer you’ve ever heard.”
The pair were under pressure to reach a concrete agreement following a historic 2018 summit where little progress was made towards nuclear disarmament.
Critics of the process say that Kim will be hard-pressed to truly denuclearize as the weapons secure his grip on power over the isolated Asian country where he rules with strict rules, political internment camps and rigid leadership.
(c)Breaking911 – Eli Ridder
