trump-kim summit

Trump-Kim’s Hanoi summit failed; Agreement not reached

Hanoi summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un ended Thursday abruptly without reaching any agreement.

Addressing the press at news conference Trump said, “It was all about the sanctions… They wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn’t do that.”

The two leaders were expected to talk over denuclearization of Korean Peninsula more and less on sanctions, but North claims the proposals made from them at the summit were realistic.

Trump’s offer to Kim was to dismantle all of the Yongbyon complex, research and production facility at the country’s nuclear program, but he was not prepared to offer complete lifting of sanctions.

At present Yongbyon is the only known source of plutonium in North Korea, but it is also believed there are more than two other facilities where uranium is enriched.

In his press briefing in Vietnam’s capital city Hanoi the president said Kim offered destruction of only Yongbyon and not entire nuclear apparatus in the country.

Trump said Kim was surprised when issue of a second enrichment facility was raised pondering what the US knew.

Meanwhile, a press conference by North Korean foreign minister claims Kim had asked for lifting of partial sanctions and not complete sanctions.

The first summit between the two leaders was held in Singapore in June 2018.

A statement released by South Korea points more meaningful progress has been made than at any time prior.