Trump withdraws new sanctions on North Korea because he "likes Kim Jong-un"
Trump believes there is no need to add sanctions to North Korea, and experts say this is an effort to reduce the risk of Pyongyang withdrawing from negotiations.
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US President Trump (left) and North Korean President Kim Jong-un in Hanoi on February 27. Photo:AFP. |
"Today, the U.S. Treasury announced that additional large-scale sanctions will be added to existing sanctions on North Korea. I have ordered the withdrawal of these additional sanctions!", Trump wrote on Twitter on March 22.
"President Trump likes Chairman Kim and he thinks these sanctions are unnecessary," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.
It is unclear what measures Trump was referring to, as Washington did not announce the sanctions on March 22. Many news agencies believe Trump was referring to the US Treasury Department's March 21 sanctions on two Chinese shipping companies accused of helping North Korea evade sanctions.
However,ReutersCiting a US government source, Trump said that he did not withdraw the decision with the two companies mentioned above, but the President meant that the US would not impose additional large-scale sanctions on North Korea.
Harry Kazianis from the Center for the National Interest assessed Trump's move as an effort to ease rising tensions between Washington and Pyongyang and reduce the risk of North Korea pulling out of the negotiations.
The failure of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Trump to reach any agreement after their second summit in Hanoi late last month has raised doubts about the future of the negotiation process, although Trump affirmed that the relationship between the two leaders remains very good.
"Trump's withdrawal of sanctions could be an effort to make North Korea change its mind," he said.
