Trump warned that talks with Kim on June 12 may not take place
WASHINGTON, May 23 (Reuters) – the US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that there is “substantial probability” that his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-no will not take place on June 12, as planned, amid fears that the DPRK leader is not wants to abandon nuclear weapons.
Trump voiced doubts as to whether negotiations with Kim would take place, at a meeting with South Korean President Mun Zhe In who was on a visit to Washington to urge the American leader not to miss the rare opportunity to establish relations with the DPRK.
“There is a very significant probability … that nothing will work out, it’s okay,” Trump told reporters.
“This does not mean that we will not succeed with time, but June 12 may not work out, but there is a big chance that we will hold a meeting.”
US Secretary Mike Pompeo told reporters that the administration of Trump continues to prepare for the summit on June 12, but refused to say whether it will take place for sure.
Pyongyang last week threatened to cancel the summit, if Washington insists on unilateral destruction of nuclear weapons, and condemned the joint military exercises of the United States and South Korea.
Moon told Trump in a personal conversation that there is no doubt about the intention of the DPRK to participate in the negotiations, a representative of the South Korean government told reporters.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that preparations for the summit are actively moving forward after constructive negotiations with South Korea, according to US officials.
Mun’s national security advisor Chon Yi Yon told reporters that, in his opinion, there is a “99.9 percent probability” that the meeting between Trump and Kim will be held as planned.
Trump repeated that Kim’s security during the talks would be guaranteed, and the DPRK would be enriched if he agreed to denuclearization, adding that he wanted to conclude a deal on the destruction of Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons within a “short time”.