White House principal deputy secretary Raj Shah said Sunday no arrangement for a possible meeting between President Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un was being “ruled out,” including having the dictator visit the White House.
“It’s going to be [at] a time and place to be decided. We don’t have an announcement right now, but we have accepted this offer and we hope that it can be part of an important breakthrough,” Shah told ABC.
“I don’t think that that’s highly likely but again, I’m not going to rule anything out,” Shah continued when asked whether Trump would consider traveling to Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
Could the meeting between Pres. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un take place at the White House? Deputy Press Sec. @RajShah45 tells @jonkarl: “Nothing’s being ruled out.” #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/DafWPBZx5K
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 11, 2018
Shah clarified no additional preconditions had been imposed on the meeting should North Korea keep its promise not to conduct missile and nuclear tests, nor publicly oppose planned military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea.
A South Korean official announced outside the West Wing on Thursday that Pyongyang had extended an invitation to Trump to meet with Kim, adding Kim was “committed to denuclearization.”
Shah defended Trump’s openness to diplomacy, given previous misgivings he aired on Twitter regarding Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s approach.
“Our policy is pressure,” he said. “These have had an impact, it’s impacted Kim Jong Un’s behavior, it’s impacted his conduct.”
Could the meeting between Pres. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un take place at the White House? Deputy Press Sec. @RajShah45 tells @jonkarl: “Nothing’s being ruled out.” #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/DafWPBZx5K
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 11, 2018
