North Korea summit: Pence warns Kim Jong-un not to 'play' Trump

  22 May 2018    Read: 1433
North Korea summit: Pence warns Kim Jong-un not to

US Vice-President Mike Pence has warned North Korea's Kim Jong-un not to "play" President Donald Trump if they meet next month.

Mr Pence said in a Fox News interview that such a move would be a "great mistake" by the North Korean leader.

Mr Pence also said there was "no question" that Mr Trump could walk away from the 12 June summit.

North Korea has threatened to pull out of the meeting after comments by US National Security Adviser John Bolton.

The country reacted furiously when Mr Bolton suggested it would follow a "Libya model" of denuclearisation.

Libya's former leader Muammar Gaddafi agreed with Western powers in 2003 to dismantle his programme in return for the lifting of sanctions. Eight years later he was killed at the hands of Western-backed rebels.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in plans to meet Mr Trump in Washington on Tuesday to discuss plans for the summit.

Mr Pence said that Mr Trump would be willing to walk away from the planned Singapore meeting.

"I don't think President Trump is thinking about public relations, he's thinking about peace," the vice-president said.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that the US president is asking aides and advisers whether he should continue to go forward with the summit.


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