President Trump announced Thursday that the historic summit planned for this month with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un has been canceled and the President accused North Korea of having “tremendous anger and open hostility.”
The much-anticipated meeting, which was scheduled for June 12 in Singapore, would have been the first in history between a current U.S. president and a North Korean leader. Instead, it was canceled by Trump via a letter to Kim, that not only called off the meeting but also offered Kim praise for the recent release of three American prisoners. Here is the letter from President Trump to North Korean President Kim Jong Un canceling their summit:
May 24, 2018
His Excellency
Kim Jong Un
Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
PyongyangDear Mr. Chairman:
We greatly appreciate your time, patience, and effort with respect to our recent negotiations and discussions relative to a summit long sought by both parties, which was scheduled to take place on June 12 in Singapore. We were informed that the meeting was requested by North Korea, but that to us is totally irrelevant. I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting. Therefore, please let this letter serve to represent that the Singapore summit, for the good of both parties, but to the detriment of the world, will not take place. You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used.
I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately it is only that dialogue that matters. Someday, I look very much forward to meeting you. In the meantime, I want to thank you for the release of the hostages who are now home with their families. That was a beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated.
If you change your mind having to do with this most important summit, please do not hesitate to call me or write. The world, and North Korea in particular has lost a great opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth. This missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history.
Sincerely yours,
Donald J. Trump
President of the United States of America
Trump was prompted to pen the letter after North Korea released this statement, “Whether the U.S. will meet us at a meeting room or encounter us at nuclear-to-nuclear showdown is entirely dependent upon the decision and behavior of the United States.”
Trump was also less than pleased about the derogatory words said by Kim about Vice President Pence being a “political dummy,” when referring to his comments suggesting that the “so-called Libya model” may be directed North Korea if Kim didn’t attend the summit as planned and negotiate a deal with Trump.
If we know anything about President Trump, it is that he does not take well to threats and ultimatums, so it was not very surprising when he responded to the North Korean threat with one of his own warning of our country’s nuclear capabilities that are so “massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used.” Trump also left an open invitation to Kim about the possibility of meeting at a later time and asked that the leader reach out to him directly if he would like to schedule that meeting.
Trump spoke later about the cancellation of the historic summit and called it, a “tremendous setback for North Korea and, indeed, a setback for the world.” He also indicated that he has met with Defense Secretary James Mattis and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to ensure the U.S. military “is ready if necessary.” Reporters at ABC News asked the President if this cancellation increases the risk of going to war with North Korea, but the President simply responded, “We’ll see what happens. I really think they want to do what’s right.”
The president also told reporters that the leaders have had a good working relationship, but it recently took a downward spiral, inferring that he thought Kim’s recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping may have included a conversation coercing Kim to take a tougher stance when negotiating with the U.S. “I will say I’m a little disappointed, because when Kim Jong-un had the meeting with President Xi, in China, I think there was a little change in attitude from Kim Jong-un.”
Trump expressed his concerns earlier in the week about the possibility of the summit being canceled.
“So, there’s a very substantial chance that it won’t work out, and that’s okay,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “That doesn’t mean it won’t work out over a period. But it may not work out for June 12th.” Trump also indicated specifics on what the U.S. would be willing to offer Kim for his efforts in the negotiations.
“We will guarantee his safety,” Trump said. “And we’ve talked about that from the beginning. He will be safe. He will be happy. His country will be rich.”
~ Conservative Zone
