President Trump struck a positive tone Friday tweeting about “productive talks” going on between the U.S. and North Korea on possibly resurrecting a summit next month, a day after he nixed the highly anticipated meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
And if the original June 12 date, which is fast approaching, doesn’t work out, the president said there could be a plan for a later time.
“We are having very productive talks with North Korea about reinstating the Summit, which, if it does happen, will likely remain in Singapore on the same date, June 12th., and if necessary, will be extended beyond that date,” Trump tweeted Friday.
We are having very productive talks with North Korea about reinstating the Summit which, if it does happen, will likely remain in Singapore on the same date, June 12th., and, if necessary, will be extended beyond that date.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2018
After months of rising expectations, Trump announced Thursday that the meeting was off. He shared a letter he sent to Kim explaining his decision to reject the June 12 summit in Singapore because of the “tremendous anger and open hostility” from the rogue regime. However, Trump urged Kim to contact him if his behavior changed.
It wasn’t long before Trump began to signal that the meeting on June 12 in Singapore could still happen.
“Hopefully, everything is going to work out well with North Korea. A lot of things can happen, including the fact that perhaps … it’s possible that the existing summit could take place or a summit at some later date,” Trump said before a bill signing ceremony at the White House later in the day Thursday. “Nobody should be anxious. We have to get it right.”
He also said that sanctions and a “maximum pressure campaign” will continue in the meantime.
In the run-up to Trump’s cancellation, North Korea warned the summit was in jeopardy, pointing to a joint U.S.-South Korea military exercise it protested. The threats continued earlier this week when Pyongyang suggested a “nuclear-to-nuclear showdown” was a possible alternative should the planned meeting fall apart.
In response to Trump’s letter canceling the meeting, North Korea said it remained open to talking with the U.S. Just hours before the letter was revealed, the rogue regime demolished its nuclear site in a move meant to be a show of good faith to the U.S. prior to their leaders’ meeting.
