Pompeo says North Korea won’t get something for nothing in summit: ‘Economic relief is not going to be provided’ until Kim gives up his nukes
Secretary of state insists North Korea give up its nuclear weapons program before any relaxation of sanctions’ economic stranglehold
But he says the U.S. is prepared to offer ‘unique’ security guarantees to Pyongyang that could offset the loss of Kim Jong-un’s nukes and missiles
One thing Kim wants is an end to the U.S. military presence in South Korea, where 28,000 American troops are stationed to protect it from its neighbor
Trump-Kim summit on Tuesday will be first of its kind between a U.S. president and a North Korean leader
By DAVID MARTOSKO
DailyMail.com
11 June 2018
The U.S. has offered North Korea ‘unique’ security guarantees to persuade it to give up its nuclear arsenal, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday, on the eve of a historic summit in Singapore.
But President Donald Trump’s team is still insisting on ‘complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization’ from the Kim Jong-un regime before sanctions are dropped.
‘The president’s made very clear: Until such time as we get the outcome that we’re demanding, economic relief is not going to be provided,’ Pompeo told reporters in a brief press conference.
He said Trump is ‘prepared to take what will be security assurances that are different, – unique – than have been provided, than America has been willing to provide previously. We think that’s necessary and appropriate.’
‘Sanctions will remain until North Korea completely and verifiably eliminates is weapons of mass destruction programs,’ Pompeo added. ‘If diplomacy does not move in the right direction … those measures will increase.’
The White House said preparatory negotiations had ‘moved more quickly than expected’ and Trump would leave Tuesday evening after his talks with Kim, seemingly ruling out the possibility the unprecedented tete-a-tete would continue into a second day.
The meeting, long sought by Pyongyang, will be the first ever between a serving U.S. president and a North Korean leader, and will focus on the nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles the North has spent decades developing.
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