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NYT: Trump Afraid Meeting with Kim Will Be ’Political Embarrassment’

NYT: Trump Afraid Meeting with Kim Will Be ’Political Embarrassment’
folder_openUnited States access_time5 years ago
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Ahead of next month's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore, US President Donald Trump is concerned about the possibility of the meeting turning into a "political embarrassment," and has begun asking his aides if he should go out on a limb and proceed with the talks, The New York Times reported.

NYT: Trump Afraid Meeting with Kim Will Be ’Political Embarrassment’

According to the NYT, citing administration officials, Trump was both surprised and angered by North Korea's backing out of its initial assurances, as Pyongyang's top nuclear negotiator stated that the country would never "trade away its nuclear weapons capability in exchange for economic aid."

It was reported that Trump approached his aides on Thursday and Friday, asking if it was wise to hold the meeting with his North Korean counterpart, and on Saturday night he reached South Korea's President Moon Jae-in to learn why Pyongyang's recent statement seemed to be at odds with the private assurances that Moon had given after the historic inter-Korean summit last month.

Trump's aides were increasingly anxious about him having appeared to be too eager to hold the summit meeting, the NYT noted. The advisers also worry that Kim could take advantage of that eagerness to offer promises and assurances that could be broken over time.

In further details, Trump's decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA], also known as the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, has raised the stakes for the North Korea talks.

"If he emerges with anything less than what President Barack Obama got, which in Iran included the verified shipment of 97 percent of all nuclear material out of the country, it will be hard for Mr. Trump to convince anyone other than his base that the negotiation was a success," The NYT suggested.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

 

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