SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) – We could be just weeks away from an historic summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong un.
But before that much anticipated sit downs happens, North Korean state news slamming the U.S.
A North Korean official quoted as saying the U.S. is misleading public opinion by suggesting that North Korea is coming to the negotiating table on the topic of denuclearization as a result of pressure economic sanctions and that international campaign of maximum pressure.
Instead the deputy foreign minister of North Korea insists that the progress that we are seeing happen on Peninsula is a result of that other historic summit between North Korea and South Korea.
These are similar lines that have been put out there before by North Korean state news.
This is an opportunity again for North Korea to flex its muscle before heading into that summit claiming credit for the cascade of diplomatic developments.
Really a change in atmosphere that we’ve seen that dates back to February when North Korea sent its Olympic team to participate in the games in South Korea.
A lot was decided at that North Korean South Korean summit including to talk further about denuclearization and also to work toward a lasting peace treaty that would put to an end the Korean War some 65 years after the fighting but the details of all of this will have to be worked out.
When President Trump and Kim Jong un come together President Trump has said that a date and a location for the summit has finally been set. But he hasn’t revealed any of the details of that.
In the meantime much of the world is watching waiting to see if North Korea will make a good faith effort put a goodwill gesture out there before the summit by releasing three American detainees just a week ago there was heavy speculation that the release of those prisoners would be imminent. It came about when the president’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani announced that three men would be freed last Thursday.
Thursday came and Thursday went but administration officials insist they’re confident that North Korea will release the detainees before the summit.
The president himself has teased that people should stay tuned. But there are developments in the works.
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