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Proof that this PINO's mind is even tinier than his hands ,
Trump wanted to cancel North Korea summit before Kim Jong Un could
The president was caught between Pompeo and Bolton, say multiple officials.
WASHINGTON — Early Thursday morning, after a flurry of calls with a handful of senior advisers, an angry President Donald Trump personally dictated the three-paragraph letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that canceled the scheduled summit between their two nations.
It had been less than 12 hours since Trump and his team began grappling intensely with the prospects for shelving what would have been a historic meeting between the two heads of state.
Trump wanted to cancel North Korea summit before Kim Jong Un could
The president was caught between Pompeo and Bolton, say multiple officials.
WASHINGTON — Early Thursday morning, after a flurry of calls with a handful of senior advisers, an angry President Donald Trump personally dictated the three-paragraph letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that canceled the scheduled summit between their two nations.
It had been less than 12 hours since Trump and his team began grappling intensely with the prospects for shelving what would have been a historic meeting between the two heads of state.
How Kim Jong Un ‘Baited’ Trump Into Canceling The North Korea Summit
Trump’s slapdash attempt at negotiations has left the U.S. isolated from its Asian allies.
President Donald Trump on Thursday canceled a highly anticipated summit with Kim Jong Un, claiming the North Korean leader had passed up a great opportunity at lasting peace. But experts tell HuffPost it was Kim who provoked Trump to ax the June 12 meeting ― isolating the U.S. from its Asian allies and indefinitely postponing talks of Pyongyang’s denuclearization.
“Kim baited Trump into pulling out of the summit, and Trump took the bait,” said Vipin Narang, a professor of international relations at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The Breakdown
The meeting was always a risky endeavor. Trump and Kim spent the better part of 2017 trading insults and threats over North Korea’s aggressive development of nuclear warheads. But on March 8, South Korea’s national security adviser announced from the White House that Trump and Kim had agreed to meet. As discussions over the details of the summit unfolded ― where would it take place, and what exactly would be at stake ― Trump boasted that the development was proof his belligerent stance against Pyongyang could bring the regime to the negotiating table.
But many analysts were unsurprised that a Trump administration short on foreign policy experience wasn’t able to pull it off. “They clearly don’t have the personnel in place and the mindset to accomplish much in these delicate sorts of exchanges,” said Joshua Pollack, a senior research associate with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. “We can’t even reach and stick to trade agreements with close partners.”
Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush spent years trying to reach agreements with North Korea to curtail its nuclear and missile programs, but the talks proved fraught with complications. North Korean diplomats are experts in sending mixed signals, often suggesting a willingness to compromise before reversing tack. During negotiations with the Trump administration, North Korea announced it would not agree to a summit if the U.S. insisted on denuclearization, the major focus of the talks. Just this week, North Korea proudly announced it would destroy a nuclear test site, but at the same time reportedly put off the Trump administration’s questions about arrangements for the summit.
“I’m not at all surprised the whole thing blew up,” said Van Jackson, a North Korea expert at the Victoria University of Wellington. “The structure of the situation and the basic conflict of interests had not changed at all from last year.”
As more and more fractures emerged in the lead-up to June 12, it became clear Trump wouldn’t get the easy public relations victory he’d envisioned.
“This was never taken seriously as an arms control negotiation, it was only taken seriously as a stage show to make Donald Trump look big and powerful,” said Stephen Schwartz, an independent nuclear policy consultant. “I felt that as things drew closer and Trump realized like he wasn’t going to get the grand submission with Kim on his knees, that things were not going to go well.”
Bruised egos were at least partly at the core of the summit’s collapse, said Jeff Lewis, the director of the East Asia nonproliferation program at the Middlebury Institute.
“North Korea did the one thing Trump couldn’t handle: humiliate him. I think Trump was prepared to swallow the idea of Kim keeping his nuclear arsenal, but he is not prepared to swallow his pride,” Lewis said. “Trump is the one who’s going to take the blame for this.”
The Risks
Trump’s haphazard attempt at a deal, followed by his abrupt exit, may have far-reaching consequences, analysts fear. The lead-up to the summit provided Kim with an opportunity to reduce tensions and sanctions, and its breakdown brought North Korea the added benefit of creating a rift between the U.S. and its Asian allies.
I felt that as things drew closer and Trump realized like he wasn’t going to get the grand submission with Kim on his knees, that things were not going to go well. Stephen Schwartz, nuclear policy consultant
“Kim also wanted to drive a wedge between the U.S. and South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, the U.S. and China, and he’s done that,” Schwartz said. “Donald Trump fell right into it, and he has no one to blame but himself.”
Thursday’s news was devastating to Seoul, which appeared blindsided by the announcement. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been performing diplomatic gymnastics behind the scenes to minimize the possibility of a military confrontation on the Korean Peninsula.
At the same time, the cancellation eases pressure on China, North Korea’s closest ally and trading partner. For months, the U.S. had strong-armed Beijing to pressure Kim’s regime into denuclearization. It’s unlikely the Chinese will once again be willing to ratchet up the pressure after the negotiations provided a softening of relations.
“The maximum pressure campaign is broke,” Pollack said. “It’s over.”
What’s Next
It’s unclear how international negotiations with North Korea will unfold following Trump’s decision. Experts worry the U.S. may find itself diplomatically isolated, with few options to limit Pyongyang’s nuclear program through sanctions or negotiations. At the same time, Trump’s new national security adviser, John Bolton, has made it clear he wants to keep military options open.
“If North Korea starts testing missiles or nuclear weapons again, then we’re back to 2017 or worse, and we now have a national security adviser that’s gone on the record talking about a first strike of North Korea. We could be in a very different world,” Narang said.
Jackson also fears that tensions between Washington and Pyongyang could flare up to dangerous levels yet again.
“With no summit in the offing, the preventive war narrative is likely to make a comeback,” he said. “Dangerous times ahead.”
Trump’s slapdash attempt at negotiations has left the U.S. isolated from its Asian allies.
President Donald Trump on Thursday canceled a highly anticipated summit with Kim Jong Un, claiming the North Korean leader had passed up a great opportunity at lasting peace. But experts tell HuffPost it was Kim who provoked Trump to ax the June 12 meeting ― isolating the U.S. from its Asian allies and indefinitely postponing talks of Pyongyang’s denuclearization.
“Kim baited Trump into pulling out of the summit, and Trump took the bait,” said Vipin Narang, a professor of international relations at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The Breakdown
The meeting was always a risky endeavor. Trump and Kim spent the better part of 2017 trading insults and threats over North Korea’s aggressive development of nuclear warheads. But on March 8, South Korea’s national security adviser announced from the White House that Trump and Kim had agreed to meet. As discussions over the details of the summit unfolded ― where would it take place, and what exactly would be at stake ― Trump boasted that the development was proof his belligerent stance against Pyongyang could bring the regime to the negotiating table.
But many analysts were unsurprised that a Trump administration short on foreign policy experience wasn’t able to pull it off. “They clearly don’t have the personnel in place and the mindset to accomplish much in these delicate sorts of exchanges,” said Joshua Pollack, a senior research associate with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. “We can’t even reach and stick to trade agreements with close partners.”
Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush spent years trying to reach agreements with North Korea to curtail its nuclear and missile programs, but the talks proved fraught with complications. North Korean diplomats are experts in sending mixed signals, often suggesting a willingness to compromise before reversing tack. During negotiations with the Trump administration, North Korea announced it would not agree to a summit if the U.S. insisted on denuclearization, the major focus of the talks. Just this week, North Korea proudly announced it would destroy a nuclear test site, but at the same time reportedly put off the Trump administration’s questions about arrangements for the summit.
“I’m not at all surprised the whole thing blew up,” said Van Jackson, a North Korea expert at the Victoria University of Wellington. “The structure of the situation and the basic conflict of interests had not changed at all from last year.”
As more and more fractures emerged in the lead-up to June 12, it became clear Trump wouldn’t get the easy public relations victory he’d envisioned.
“This was never taken seriously as an arms control negotiation, it was only taken seriously as a stage show to make Donald Trump look big and powerful,” said Stephen Schwartz, an independent nuclear policy consultant. “I felt that as things drew closer and Trump realized like he wasn’t going to get the grand submission with Kim on his knees, that things were not going to go well.”
Bruised egos were at least partly at the core of the summit’s collapse, said Jeff Lewis, the director of the East Asia nonproliferation program at the Middlebury Institute.
“North Korea did the one thing Trump couldn’t handle: humiliate him. I think Trump was prepared to swallow the idea of Kim keeping his nuclear arsenal, but he is not prepared to swallow his pride,” Lewis said. “Trump is the one who’s going to take the blame for this.”
The Risks
Trump’s haphazard attempt at a deal, followed by his abrupt exit, may have far-reaching consequences, analysts fear. The lead-up to the summit provided Kim with an opportunity to reduce tensions and sanctions, and its breakdown brought North Korea the added benefit of creating a rift between the U.S. and its Asian allies.
I felt that as things drew closer and Trump realized like he wasn’t going to get the grand submission with Kim on his knees, that things were not going to go well. Stephen Schwartz, nuclear policy consultant
“Kim also wanted to drive a wedge between the U.S. and South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, the U.S. and China, and he’s done that,” Schwartz said. “Donald Trump fell right into it, and he has no one to blame but himself.”
Thursday’s news was devastating to Seoul, which appeared blindsided by the announcement. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been performing diplomatic gymnastics behind the scenes to minimize the possibility of a military confrontation on the Korean Peninsula.
At the same time, the cancellation eases pressure on China, North Korea’s closest ally and trading partner. For months, the U.S. had strong-armed Beijing to pressure Kim’s regime into denuclearization. It’s unlikely the Chinese will once again be willing to ratchet up the pressure after the negotiations provided a softening of relations.
“The maximum pressure campaign is broke,” Pollack said. “It’s over.”
What’s Next
It’s unclear how international negotiations with North Korea will unfold following Trump’s decision. Experts worry the U.S. may find itself diplomatically isolated, with few options to limit Pyongyang’s nuclear program through sanctions or negotiations. At the same time, Trump’s new national security adviser, John Bolton, has made it clear he wants to keep military options open.
“If North Korea starts testing missiles or nuclear weapons again, then we’re back to 2017 or worse, and we now have a national security adviser that’s gone on the record talking about a first strike of North Korea. We could be in a very different world,” Narang said.
Jackson also fears that tensions between Washington and Pyongyang could flare up to dangerous levels yet again.
“With no summit in the offing, the preventive war narrative is likely to make a comeback,” he said. “Dangerous times ahead.”
'We waited and waited': White House says North Korea ghosted the US before Trump-Kim summit was canceled
It sounded off on the scheduled US-South Korean joint military exercises, and snapped at US national security adviser John Bolton over some worrisome remarks he made regarding the future of North Korea.
The White House official also confirmed reports that North Korean officials ghosted their US counterparts after failing to show up for a planned pre-summit meeting in Singapore. The US officials reportedly "waited and waited and the North Koreans never showed up."
"North Korea promised that the two sides would meet in Singapore last week, to jointly work on the logistical preparations for the summit," the official reportedly said. "The North Koreans didn't tell us anything. They simply stood us up."
North Korea's absence at the planned meeting reportedly raised alarms at the White House, which coincided with the timing of North Korea's change in posture last week.
The White House official also criticized Pyongyang's decision to prohibit experts from inspecting and verifying the purported destruction of a nuclear test site in North Korea, but allowed journalists to cover the incident instead.
It sounded off on the scheduled US-South Korean joint military exercises, and snapped at US national security adviser John Bolton over some worrisome remarks he made regarding the future of North Korea.
The White House official also confirmed reports that North Korean officials ghosted their US counterparts after failing to show up for a planned pre-summit meeting in Singapore. The US officials reportedly "waited and waited and the North Koreans never showed up."
"North Korea promised that the two sides would meet in Singapore last week, to jointly work on the logistical preparations for the summit," the official reportedly said. "The North Koreans didn't tell us anything. They simply stood us up."
North Korea's absence at the planned meeting reportedly raised alarms at the White House, which coincided with the timing of North Korea's change in posture last week.
The White House official also criticized Pyongyang's decision to prohibit experts from inspecting and verifying the purported destruction of a nuclear test site in North Korea, but allowed journalists to cover the incident instead.
The next move is on Kim. What will be interesting to see, what does Trump do if Kim launches another missile?
Fake news. You libtards will believe anything.
How Kim Jong Un ‘Baited’ Trump Into Canceling The North Korea Summit
Trump’s slapdash attempt at negotiations has left the U.S. isolated from its Asian allies.
President Donald Trump on Thursday canceled a highly anticipated summit with Kim Jong Un, claiming the North Korean leader had passed up a great opportunity at lasting peace. But experts tell HuffPost it was Kim who provoked Trump to ax the June 12 meeting ― isolating the U.S. from its Asian allies and indefinitely postponing talks of Pyongyang’s denuclearization.
“Kim baited Trump into pulling out of the summit, and Trump took the bait,” said Vipin Narang, a professor of international relations at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The Breakdown
The meeting was always a risky endeavor. Trump and Kim spent the better part of 2017 trading insults and threats over North Korea’s aggressive development of nuclear warheads. But on March 8, South Korea’s national security adviser announced from the White House that Trump and Kim had agreed to meet. As discussions over the details of the summit unfolded ― where would it take place, and what exactly would be at stake ― Trump boasted that the development was proof his belligerent stance against Pyongyang could bring the regime to the negotiating table.
But many analysts were unsurprised that a Trump administration short on foreign policy experience wasn’t able to pull it off. “They clearly don’t have the personnel in place and the mindset to accomplish much in these delicate sorts of exchanges,” said Joshua Pollack, a senior research associate with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. “We can’t even reach and stick to trade agreements with close partners.”
Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush spent years trying to reach agreements with North Korea to curtail its nuclear and missile programs, but the talks proved fraught with complications. North Korean diplomats are experts in sending mixed signals, often suggesting a willingness to compromise before reversing tack. During negotiations with the Trump administration, North Korea announced it would not agree to a summit if the U.S. insisted on denuclearization, the major focus of the talks. Just this week, North Korea proudly announced it would destroy a nuclear test site, but at the same time reportedly put off the Trump administration’s questions about arrangements for the summit.
“I’m not at all surprised the whole thing blew up,” said Van Jackson, a North Korea expert at the Victoria University of Wellington. “The structure of the situation and the basic conflict of interests had not changed at all from last year.”
As more and more fractures emerged in the lead-up to June 12, it became clear Trump wouldn’t get the easy public relations victory he’d envisioned.
“This was never taken seriously as an arms control negotiation, it was only taken seriously as a stage show to make Donald Trump look big and powerful,” said Stephen Schwartz, an independent nuclear policy consultant. “I felt that as things drew closer and Trump realized like he wasn’t going to get the grand submission with Kim on his knees, that things were not going to go well.”
Bruised egos were at least partly at the core of the summit’s collapse, said Jeff Lewis, the director of the East Asia nonproliferation program at the Middlebury Institute.
“North Korea did the one thing Trump couldn’t handle: humiliate him. I think Trump was prepared to swallow the idea of Kim keeping his nuclear arsenal, but he is not prepared to swallow his pride,” Lewis said. “Trump is the one who’s going to take the blame for this.”
The Risks
Trump’s haphazard attempt at a deal, followed by his abrupt exit, may have far-reaching consequences, analysts fear. The lead-up to the summit provided Kim with an opportunity to reduce tensions and sanctions, and its breakdown brought North Korea the added benefit of creating a rift between the U.S. and its Asian allies.
I felt that as things drew closer and Trump realized like he wasn’t going to get the grand submission with Kim on his knees, that things were not going to go well. Stephen Schwartz, nuclear policy consultant
“Kim also wanted to drive a wedge between the U.S. and South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, the U.S. and China, and he’s done that,” Schwartz said. “Donald Trump fell right into it, and he has no one to blame but himself.”
Thursday’s news was devastating to Seoul, which appeared blindsided by the announcement. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been performing diplomatic gymnastics behind the scenes to minimize the possibility of a military confrontation on the Korean Peninsula.
At the same time, the cancellation eases pressure on China, North Korea’s closest ally and trading partner. For months, the U.S. had strong-armed Beijing to pressure Kim’s regime into denuclearization. It’s unlikely the Chinese will once again be willing to ratchet up the pressure after the negotiations provided a softening of relations.
“The maximum pressure campaign is broke,” Pollack said. “It’s over.”
What’s Next
It’s unclear how international negotiations with North Korea will unfold following Trump’s decision. Experts worry the U.S. may find itself diplomatically isolated, with few options to limit Pyongyang’s nuclear program through sanctions or negotiations. At the same time, Trump’s new national security adviser, John Bolton, has made it clear he wants to keep military options open.
“If North Korea starts testing missiles or nuclear weapons again, then we’re back to 2017 or worse, and we now have a national security adviser that’s gone on the record talking about a first strike of North Korea. We could be in a very different world,” Narang said.
Jackson also fears that tensions between Washington and Pyongyang could flare up to dangerous levels yet again.
“With no summit in the offing, the preventive war narrative is likely to make a comeback,” he said. “Dangerous times ahead.”
Where did you find this ? (no attribute or link provided)
The statement that somehow that the US is isolated from it's Asian Allies on the face of it seems like pure fiction. In the first place, even South Korean diplomats gave the chances of a meeting long odds. And everyone set very low expectations even if one did occur - not based on Trump, but rather on a long established North Korean track record for diplomatic chicanery. It's a totalitarian communist dictatorship - not a proper nation-state after all.
In the second place, US Asian Allies are dependent upon a considerable in theater US military deterrent - including THAAD missile batteries and AEGIS naval air interdiction assets on station. They even pay for a portion of the US expenses in fact as I recall.
And this is an area where the Chinese are having to walk a very careful line and are playing with fire. The reason Japan- for example- is dependent on the U.S is because their military power is limited by treaty with the U.S. in exchange for U.S protection. It was of course an outcome of WW2 where the the Japanese had a certain interest in going to war and bad blood with the Chinese is always there to flair up.
However, the Japanese are properly asserting that Kim is lobbing missiles into their waters and the U.S is not protecting them- which of course infuriates the nationalists in Japan and is also a valid complaint against the U.S. In return, Trump is giving them more weapons, offensive weapons included. China is having its usual fun and games supporting Chubby in the background but it is not a risk-free lunch. The last thing they want to see is more fully armed and more fully free of Washington Japan and some of that is clearly going on already.