This is a developing story and has been updated with new information.
Remarks from Sarah Huckabee Sanders appeared to walk back a dramatic announcement from Thursday night that President Donald Trump had accepted an invitation to meet with Kim Jong-un by the end of May.
Sanders said during Friday’s White House press briefing that Trump would not meet with Kim until North Korea takes “concrete and verifiable actions” that match their alleged commitment to denuclearization.There was no public mention Thursday of concrete steps toward denuclearization by Pyongyang as a precondition for the meeting.
“We’re not going to have this meeting take place until we see concrete actions that match the words and the rhetoric of North Korea,” the White House spokeswoman told reporters Friday.
“The North Koreans did promise something. They’ve promised to denuclearize. They promised to stop nuclear and missile testing. They’ve recognized that we’re going to continue in our military exercises.”
Asked about the possibility that the meeting could not occur, Sanders said: “There are a lot of things possible. I’m not going to sit here and walk through every hypothetical that could exist in the world. But I can tell you that the president has accepted that invitation on the basis that we have concrete and verifiable steps.”
Sanders’ remarks come after a surprise announcement Thursday night from South Korea’s national security adviser, who met with Kim earlier in the week and briefed Trump on the meeting Thursday.
Chung Eui-yong told reporters outside of the White House that Kim “said he is committed to denuclearization,” pledged to “refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests,” and recognized that routine joint military exercises between the South and the U.S. “must continue.”
“[Kim Jong-un] expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible,” Chung said. “President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization.”
The White House then told reporters that Trump “greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation” and “will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong-un at a place and time to be determined.”
“President Trump has agreed to accept an invitation to meet with Kim Jong-un in a matter of a couple of months,” a senior administration official said.
Officials said that the administration would maintain its campaign of maximum economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea, even amid talks. “If we look at the history of these negotiations that took place under prior administrations, they have often led to the relinquishing of pressure,” the official said. “Sanctions and maximum pressure must remain.”
Update, 3:52 p.m.: The White House is sowing more confusion in regards to the meeting. As Michael C. Bender of the Wall Street Journal reports:
White House clarifies Sarah Sanders’ statement on N Korea that “president will not agree to the meeting without concrete steps and action.”
Not so fast: “The invitation has been extended and accepted, and that stands,” WH official tells WSJ.
— Michael C. Bender (@MichaelCBender) March 9, 2018
