Trump says there is no time limit for North Korea's nuclear disarmament
The US President changed his tone when he declared that he was in no rush to denuclearize North Korea after meeting with Kim Jong-un last month.
|
North Korean ballistic missiles on parade in Pyongyang in April 2017. Photo: AFP |
"The negotiations are still going very well. We have no time limit or progress limit," US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on July 17, according toAFP.
Trump also said he discussed the North Korea issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a summit in Finland on July 16."President Putin is on our side on this," Trump said.
At the US-North Korea summit on June 12 in Singapore, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recommitted to denuclearization.However, tThe joint statement did not specify a timetable for the process or how denuclearization would be carried out. Diplomats from both countries are continuing to work on the specific steps.
After more than a month of negotiations, the US and North Korea have yet to make any progress. Pyongyang also accused Washington of "acting like a gangster and unilaterally demanding North Korea denuclearize", which could shake the determination to denuclearize.
Before the Singapore summit, the Trump administration said the denuclearization process would begin "without delay." After the summit, Washington continued to assert that the process would begin "very quickly."
A day after the summit, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said most of North Korea's nuclear disarmament would be completed before Trump's first term ends in 2020.
