*US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he has canceled hisplanned June 12 summit in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jung Un.*
In a letter to Kim, Trump accused the Korean leader of “tremendous angerand open hostility”.
A White House official said a North Korean official’s remarks about US VicePresident Mike Pence being a “political dummy” was “the last straw” thatled to Trump cancelling the meeting between the two leaders in Singapore.
“I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, andultimately, it is only that dialogue that matters. Some day, I look verymuch forward to meeting you in the meantime, I want to thank you for therelease of the hostages who are now home with their families. That was abeautiful gesture and was very much appreciated,” Trump wrote to Kim.
“You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive andpowerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used,” he said.
“Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in yourmost recent statement, I feel it would be inappropriate, at this time, tohave this long-planned meeting,” Trump wrote to Kim. “Please let thisletter serve to represent that the Singapore summit, for the good of bothparties, but to the detriment of the world, will not take place.”
This comes a week after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled to NorthKorea to meet with Kim Jong Un, marking a highly unusual trip as the twonations were preparing for a meeting between their leaders.
The meeting between Pompeo and Kim “went very smoothly” Trump tweetedWednesday, confirming reports of the meeting.
“Mike Pompeo met with Kim Jong Un in North Korea last week. Meeting wentvery smoothly and a good relationship was formed. Details of Summit arebeing worked out now,” tweeted Trump.
Kim’s offer for a summit was initially conveyed to Trump by South Korealast month, and the president shocked many by accepting it. US officialsindicated over the past two weeks that North Korea’s government hadcommunicated directly with Washington that it was ready to discuss itsnuclear weapons program.
After a year of escalating tensions, when North Korea conducted nuclear andlong-range missile tests that drew world condemnation, Kim has pivoted tointernational outreach.