With South Korean officials openly “puzzled” by the US decision to cancel the June 12 summit between Trump and Kim, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a call to South Korean FM Kang Kyung-wha to try to explain what happened.
Pompeo sought to assure the South Koreans that the US remains committed to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. That assurance comes in spite of that being the main topic for the summit, which now appears as if it isn’t going to happen.
State Department officials say Pompeo and Kang ended up agreeing to create an environment which would allow a summit between Trump and Kim. They agreed they wouldn’t stop until North Korea agreed to nuclear disarmament.
Getting North Korea to agree to that is clearly going to require a summit, and the path toward such a deal was already clear, up until Trump’s Thursday cancellation. Trump told the North Koreans he’d still be willing to talk if they put aside their “hostility” toward the US.
Though North Korea expressed annoyance at recent joint US-South Korea war games, which they viewed as conflicting with the diplomatic tone of the moment, they say they are willing to wait and give the US time to change their mind.
Perhaps someone wise (whoever that is) said, if Uncle Sham pulls out of this meeting, they’ll be more isolated than North Korea.
What happened to the “click to discuss this article” link of the previous Ditz story:
“Report: Israel Struck Syria Airbase to Target Hezbollah Members”
How about being committed to the denuclearization of the North American continent? Lead by example, maybe?
When Pompeo says “denuclearization” he means only that the US gets what it wants, and gives nothing in return.
Vague promises that might promote economic growth later are likely to fall apart like they did with Iran, because of human rights concerns or other activity by the North.
Pompeo does not mean to offer anything at all on security. He means to dominate the Peninsula, and ultimately to change the North’s regime. While changing that regime might have cause, like with Iran priorities must be set, and those must be nuclear weapons first.
What Pompeo wants is also seen as a threat by China, and that means that the North will not be pushed into concession on that, not give what China does not want given.