President Donald Trump on Sunday claimed North Korea has agreed to 鈥渄enuclearization鈥� before his potential meeting with Kim Jong Un. But that鈥檚 not the case.
North Korea said Friday it would suspend nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches ahead of summits with the U.S. and South Korea. Kim also said a nuclear test site would be closed and 鈥渄ismantled鈥� now that the country has learned how to make nuclear weapons and mount warheads on ballistic rockets.
But the North has stopped short of saying it has any intention of abandoning its nuclear arsenal, with Kim making clear that nukes remain a 鈥渢reasured sword.鈥�
Trump nonetheless tweeted Sunday that the North has 鈥渁greed to denuclearization (so great for World), site closure, & no more testing!鈥�
Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd of Fake 亚洲天堂 NBC just stated that we have given up so much in our negotiations with North Korea, and they have given up nothing. Wow, we haven鈥檛 given up anything & they have agreed to denuclearization (so great for World), site closure, & no more testing!
鈥� Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
Being committed to the concept of denuclearization, however, is not the same as agreeing to it, as Trump claims.
South Korea, which is set to meet with North Korea later this week, has said Kim has expressed genuine interest in dealing away his nuclear weapons. But the North for decades has been pushing a concept of 鈥渄enuclearization鈥� that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to pursue nuclear development unless Washington removes its troops from the Korean Peninsula and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan.
South Korea鈥檚 president has said Kim isn鈥檛 asking for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula as a condition for abandoning his nuclear weapons. If true, that would seem to remove a major sticking point to a potential disarmament deal.
But that still doesn鈥檛 address a North Korean arsenal that now includes purported thermonuclear warheads and developmental ICBMs developed during a decadeslong cycle of crises, stalemates and broken promises.
....We are a long way from conclusion on North Korea, maybe things will work out, and maybe they won鈥檛 - only time will tell....But the work I am doing now should have been done a long time ago!
鈥� Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
Trump agreed to meet with Kim after an invitation was delivered by a South Korean delegation that had just returned from Pyongyang.
鈥淚 told President Trump that in our meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he鈥檚 committed to denuclearization,鈥� South Korea鈥檚 national security adviser later told reporters on the White House driveway. 鈥淜im pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests.鈥�
A place and date have yet to be set, but Trump鈥檚 pick to be the next secretary of state, CIA Director Mike Pompeo, travelled to North Korea on Easter weekend to lay the groundwork for the meeting. Trump has called the talks a success, but it鈥檚 unclear exactly what was agreed to, if anything, as a condition for the leader-to-leader talks.
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鈥淟ook, this is a great public relations effort by Kim Jong-un. And I think people recognize that,鈥� Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, said Sunday on CNN鈥檚 鈥淪tate of the Union.鈥� But asked whether be believed the North would denuclearize, Corker offered caution.
鈥淲ell, I don鈥檛 think he said anything about denuclearizing on the front end necessarily,鈥� he said.
He added on ABC鈥檚 鈥淭his Week鈥� that it鈥檚 unrealistic to think that 鈥渟omebody鈥檚 going to go in and charm鈥� Kim out of keeping his nuclear weapons.
鈥淚s it realistic that he鈥檚 just willy-nilly going to do that? Absolutely not,鈥� Corker said. 鈥淏ut, you know, progress can be made, freezing the program, who knows what he鈥檚 鈥� what his ambitions are as it relates to South Korea.鈥�
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, was equally as skeptical on CBS鈥� 鈥淔ace the Nation,鈥� arguing that North Korea鈥檚 recent statements are easily reversible and that no announcement has been made about short- or medium-range ballistic missiles that threaten South Korea and Japan.
鈥淲ell, I think this announcement on Friday is better than continued testing, but it鈥檚 not much better than that,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I do think they show that the president has put Kim Jong Un on the wrong foot for the first time.鈥�
Asked what denuclearization means to both sides, White House Legislative Director Marc Short said on NBC鈥檚 鈥淢eet the Press鈥� that there needs to be a sit-down meeting to make sure everyone鈥檚 on the same page.
鈥淏ut I think from our perspective, it means full denuclearization,鈥� he said. 鈥淣o longer having nuclear weapons that can be used in warfare against any of our allies.鈥�
Still, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, told CBS that if the president goes through with the meeting, it鈥檚 鈥渧ery important鈥� that it 鈥済oes well and that there is an ability to put together some terms of an agreement that might exist.鈥�
鈥淭he question,鈥� she said, 鈥渋s whether it lasts or not. And of course the reputation of the North Koreans has been that they don鈥檛 necessarily keep their agreements.鈥�
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Jill Colvin, The Associated Press
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