National security adviser John Bolton said Sunday President Trump was eager to hold a summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, but aides were not naive regarding the possibility that talks may falter before the two leaders even take a seat at a table.
“I think it is going to happen, the dates and the places are still under discussion. I think the president is eager to do it as soon as possible,” Bolton said during an interview with “Fox News Sunday,” before adding Trump administration aides were not “starry eyed about what may happen here.”
Negotiations were being modeled on efforts to denuclearize Libya from 2003 to 2004, but Bolton said he didn’t believe the U.S. would be bound by an agreement not to have nuclear assets near the Korean Peninsula.
Bolton additionally provided context to Trump’s description of Kim as “open” and “honorable.”
“I think the president is focused on doing everything he can to make this meeting a success,” Bolton said. “It’s somewhat different than what he said before, but I think he’s saying if you are going to come with a real strategic determination to give up nuclear weapons, we are going to have a very serious conversation.”
