US/North Korea Summit 3.0?
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
Days earlier, Trump said a third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would be a good idea.
Two earlier ones achieved virtually nothing toward stepping back from the brink on the Korean peninsula toward regional peace, stability, and normalized bilateral relations.
When summits or other bilateral talks are held between Washington and ruling authorities of nations it doesn’t control, one-sided unacceptable demands are made in return for hollow promises.
It’s why the US can never be trusted – consistently saying one thing, then doing another. Rare exceptions prove the rule.
Pyongyang knows what it’s up against in dealing with the most hardline fascist regime in US history. It doesn’t negotiate. It demands, notably what extremists Pompeo and Bolton are all about.
In early April, Kim Jong-un said a third summit with Trump like failure in Hanoi “is not inviting to us.” It ended abruptly with no resolution of major differences, no final statement.
Negotiations broke down because of unacceptable Trump regime demands in return for hollow promises alone, no show of good faith against the backdrop of DLT’s pullout from the JCPOA nuclear deal with Iran and 1987 INF Treaty with Russia – based on Big Lies when announced.
Kim asked Trump for partial sanctions relief alone, wanting only those affecting North Korea’s economy lifted – yet was turned down because Pompeo and Bolton rejected the concession, showing the futility of negotiating with US hardliners.
Following the failed Hanoi summit, Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said “(w)e have no intention to yield to the (one-sided) US demands in any form, nor are we willing to engage in negotiations of this kind,” adding:
Pompeo and Bolton “created the atmosphere of hostility and mistrust and, therefore, obstructed the constructive effort for negotiations between the supreme leaders of North Korea and the United States.”
Kim accused Trump regime officials of aborting a chance to resolve differences between both countries, expressing deep disappointment over failed talks, adding personal relations between him and Trump are “still good and the chemistry is mysteriously wonderful.”
On Monday, Pompeo said a third Kim/Trump summit could take place this year, adding DLT “is determined to move forward diplomatically.”
On Wednesday, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry called Pompeo “reckless,” wanting him replaced if further talks with Trump are held, saying if he’s involved, “the table will be lousy once again and the talks will become entangled.”
They achieved nothing “whenever (he) poke(d) his nose in.” If talks with the US are resumed, Pyongyang “wish(es) our dialogue counterpart would not be Pompeo” – instead, someone “more careful and mature” to deal with.
Last July, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry accused Pompeo of pursuing “unilateral and gangster-like demands for denuclearization,” calling his unacceptable actions “deeply regrettable,” sabotaging normalization efforts.
According to North Korea’s Department of American Affairs director general Kwon Jong-gun, Kim insists the Trump regime’s attitude has to change, Pompeo an obstacle to evenhanded talks, adding:
“We cannot be aware of (his) ulterior motive behind his self-indulgence in reckless remarks; whether he is indeed unable to understand words properly or just pretending on purpose.”
Kim and other DPRK officials are open to further talks only if US officials are willing to show the “proper attitude.”
What’s entirely reasonable to demand is impossible to achieve in dealing with US hardliners – demanding everything, offering nothing in return but empty promises to be broken.
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