White House: President Trump will not make mistakes with North Korea
White House Secretary Sanders said that former President Obama made mistakes in the deal with Iran and Trump will not repeat this.
 |
| US President Donald Trump (left) met with North Korean President Kim Jong-un on the afternoon of February 27 in Hanoi. Photo: AFP. |
"President Obama refused to walk away from a terrible deal with Iran. President Donald Trump will not make the same mistake with Iran, North Korea, or anyone else. The President will always put the American people before politics," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders posted onTwitterFebruary 28
The US-North Korea summit at the Metropole Hotel on the morning of February 28 ended earlier than planned. The two leaders did not have lunch together and sign a joint statement as originally planned.
Sanders' comments came after North Korea held a press conference on the night of February 28 to the morning of March 1 at the Melia Hotel in Hanoi, announcing that it was only pursuing a partial lifting of sanctions, not a complete one. In return, Pyongyang would completely and permanently dismantle its nuclear production facilities, including plutonium and uranium, and allow US experts in to inspect. However, the US did not accept this proposal.
North Korea said there was no better deal than the one it offered as the first steps toward denuclearization, and expressed regret at missing a "hard-won opportunity." North Korea said it would not change its proposal if the US proposed talks again in the future.
Speaking at a press conference on the afternoon of February 28 at the Marriot Hotel, US President Donald Trump said that the two sides still had disagreements regarding Washington's embargo. North Korea wanted the US to lift the entire embargo, but Washington did not accept.
Trump specifically emphasized that his discussions with Chairman Kim remained "friendly" and that no one left in anger. The White House press secretary also posted a photo showing the North Korean leader smiling as he bid farewell to the US President.
The nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers (US, UK, France, Germany, Russia, China) was signed in 2015 with the full name of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Trump had criticized the JCPOA before his election, calling it "the worst deal ever" and promising to tear it up on his first day in office. In May 2018, Trump announced the US withdrawal from this agreement.