President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s second summit ended without any agreement Thursday.
“Sometimes you have to walk,” Trump said at a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam. “This was just one of those times.”
Trump said the sticking point was sanctions, which Kim wanted lifted before taking all steps the United States was asking of him.
View the complete February 28 article by Rebecca Kheel on The Hill website here.
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday said that the U.S. asked for Moscow’s advice in approaching this week’s summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The Associated Press reported that Russian state media revealed comments from Lavrov in which he said Moscow believes the U.S. should offer “security guarantees” to Pyongyang in exchange for a deal to abandon its nuclear arsenal.
Lavrov said the U.S. “is even asking our advice, our views on this or that scenario” ahead of the summit.
View the complete February 25 article by Brett Samuels on The Hill website here.
At a cabinet meeting on Feb. 12, President Trump said the U.S. spends ‘$5 billion worth of protection’ for South Korea. (The Washington Post)
“South Korea — we defend them and lose a tremendous amount of money. Billions of dollars a year defending them. And working with Secretary Pompeo and John Bolton, they agreed to pay, yesterday, $500 million more toward their defense. Five hundred million, with a couple of phone calls. I said, ‘Why didn’t you do this before?’ They said, ‘Nobody asked.’ … But South Korea is costing us $5 billion a year. And they pay — they were paying about $500 million for $5 billion worth of protection. And we have to do better than that. So they’ve agreed to pay $500 million more.”
— President Trump, in a Cabinet meeting, Feb. 12, 2019
“You saw South Korea, they were paying us $500 million a year. I say, ‘You got to do more. You got to give more.’ Anyway, now they’re up to almost $900 million. That was, like, two phone calls.” Continue reading “President Trump’s imaginary numbers on military aid to South Korea”
On February 27 and 28, U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam. This second summit could answer a key question: Does Trump remain only interested in the appearance of progress, or can he extract genuine concessions from North Korea on its nuclear program?
When Trump and Kim met for the first time on June 12, 2018, in Singapore, they promised “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.” Yet beyond establishing vague areas of diplomatic focus and promising to return the remains of U.S. prisoners of war (POWs) and military personnel listed as missing in action (MIA), there were no concrete agreements on denuclearization. While Trump has repeatedly claimed that the Singapore summit was a success, there is scant evidence that North Korea has changed its behavior since then. Indeed, some observers believe that the United States gave up more than it received by providing a global platform for one of the world’s most brutal dictators without any tangible return.
Since the Singapore summit, both sides have, on occasion, attempted to signal an interest in moving negotiations forward: The United States relaxed restrictions on humanitarian assistance to North Korea, while North Korea announced that it was prepared to close its Yongbyon nuclear facilities in exchange for “corresponding measures” from the United States. But diplomacy appears to have stalled. Despite Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s two trips to Pyongyang since the June 2018 summit, the North Koreans have avoided real negotiations. Moreover, it was not until January 19 of this year that U.S. special envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun finally met with his North Korean counterpart.
North Korea remains a top threat to the U.S. despite a recent thaw in diplomatic relations, the commanders of U.S. forces in the Pacific and on the Korean Peninsula told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday.
The commander of U.S. Forces Korea, Army Gen. Robert Abrams, noted a “significant reduction in tension” compared to the recent history of missile and nuclear tests by North Korea. But the four-star general cautioned the regime’s annual military exercises hadn’t changed in size, scope or timing.
“I remain clear-eyed about the fact that, despite a reduction in tensions along the DMZ and a cessation of strategic provocations coupled with public statements of intent to denuclearize, little to no verifiable change has occurred in North Korea’s military capabilities,” Abrams told senators.
View the complete February 12 article by Connor O’Brien on the Politico website here.
More than three months after Secretary of State Michael Pompeo picked Stephen Biegun to lead negotiations with North Korea, the former Ford Motor Co. executive has barely met officials from Pyongyang face-to-face.
The standstill is a sign of how negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea have faltered, forcing a lowering of expectations, since President Donald Trump met with Kim Jong Un in Singapore in June. Biegun was appointed in August to help follow up on the opening created by the summit, but North Korean officials have ignored Pompeo’s invitation in September to meet with Biegun “at the earliest opportunity.”
Kim’s regime may feel emboldened to spurn the usual channels of diplomacy because Trump has emphasized his personal rapport with the autocratic leader and his interest in holding a second summit soon, according to current and former administration officials.
View the complete December 6 article by Nick Wadhams on the Bloomberg News website here.
On Monday, a new report from a Washington think tank identified more than a dozen hidden bases in North Korea that could be used to disperse mobile launchers for ballistic missiles in the event of a conflict.
Are these bases evidence that North Korea is cheating on the agreement it reached in June, when President Trump met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore? Analysts say the answer is no — although there are plenty of caveats.
“Kim hasn’t broken any promises,” said Jeffrey Lewis, a nonproliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterrey. “Instead, he’s making good on one of them — to mass produce nuclear weapons.”
View the complete November 12 article by Adam Taylor on The Washington Post website here.
Janis Mackey Frayer: “[Trump’s] Enthusiasm Is Not Shared By Everyone. The President’s Own Historic Summit With Kim Jong Un Has Yielded Little Progress.” JANIS MACKEY FRAYER: “There are a lot of headlines out of this summit breaking overnight, including a first ever visit by a North Korean in the south and a possible joint olympic bid for 2032. Pageantry, there is a lot of skepticism about North Korea is actually taking steps towards denuclearization or throwing the issue back in the US’s court. In Pyongyang the leaders of north and South Korea are claiming a dip plat I can breakthrough. Their summit with cheering crowds, even an embrace, producing an agreement to achieve denuclearization. Kim Jong declaring, we have promised to make the Korean peninsula the land of peace. His statement with south Korean president moon monso the north promised to shut down one of its main missile sites. President trump tweeting, Kim Jong-un has agreed to allow nuke inspections subject to final negotiations and to permanently dismantle a test site and launchpad in the presence of international experts. His enthusiasm is not shared by everyone. The president’s own historic summit with Kim jong Un has yielded little progress. Analysts warn the statement lacks details and includes demands America may not like. But South Korea a crucial ally seems determined to forge closer ties with the north while behind the scenes Kim Jong-un’s the diplomacy, the world waiting for Washington. At issue here, the peace treaty. As a precursor, whereas the U.S. Views it as a goal. President moon will brief the us on his talks today, which could pave the way to a second summit N Kim Jong-un and president trump.” [Today, NBC, 9/19/18; VIDEO]
Jon Karl: “In Terms Of Denuclearization The North Koreans Are Also Saying They Will Dismantle A Nuclear Test Facility, But They Are Demanding Reciprocal Measures By The United States. It’s Unclear What That Means.” KARL: “In terms of denuclearization the North Koreans are also saying they will dismantle a nuclear test facility, but they are demanding reciprocal measures by the United States. It’s unclear what that means, so the bottom line here that we are a long, long way from denuclearization but that does look like a step in the right direction.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 9/19/18; VIDEO]
Ben Tracy: “Despite What They’re Doing And Saying Publicly, Satellite Imagery And Reports From The U.N. Say They’re Still Moving Forward With Their Nuclear Weapons Program.” TRACY: “We were there last week when they had their parade and they did not parade their intercontinental ballistic missile or mention nuclear weapons at any of their events. But despite what they’re doing and saying publicly, satellite imagery and reports from the U.N. Say they’re still moving forward with their nuclear weapons program, they’re just doing it much more quietly.”[This Morning, CBS, 9/19/18;
Martha Raddatz: “The Secretary Of State Did Issue A Statement Saying That America Stands Ready To Engage With North Korea Once Again, But Only When Chairman Kim Is Ready To Deliver On His Commitment To Completely Denuclearize, And It Is Unclear, George, When Or If That Will Happen.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 8/29/18; VIDEO]
Weijia Jiang: “President Trump Acknowledged For The First Time That Little Progress Has Been Made, After Declaring Back In June There Was No Longer A Nuclear Threat From North Korea.” WEIJIA JIANG: “President Trump acknowledged for the first time that little progress has been made, after declaring back in June there was no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea. UN ambassador Nikki Haley acknowledged its possible North Korea may be having second thoughts about giving up its nuclear weapons. Yesterday, defense secretary James Mattis announced joint military exercises with South Korea would resume after Mr. Trump earlier agreed to suspend those exercises, as long as the north was negotiating in good faith. Sources tell CBS news a setback unfolded after the national security team met at the white house last Friday, and reviewed that letter from North Korea which reportedly said the north wanted the U.S. to sign a peace treaty to formally end the Korean war. Secretary Pompeo still remained optimistic after that, but it’s unclear when negotiations will resume.” [This Morning, CBS, 8/29/18; VIDEO] Continue reading “Want to Know More About: North Korea”
The following article by Jordan Fabian and Ellen Mitchell was posted on the Hill website August 24, 2018:
President Trump on Friday said he has asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to put off his planned visit to North Korea and accused Pyongyang of slow-walking efforts to dismantle its nuclear program.
Trump wrote in a tweet that a high-level visit is not appropriate at “this time, because I feel we are not making sufficient progress with respect to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
Pompeo was scheduled to make his fourth visit to North Korea next week to follow up on a framework agreement Trump reached with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
