SEOUL: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo downplayed the possibility of another summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before the US presidential election, saying Trump would only want to engage if there were real prospects of progress. But negotiations have faltered since their second summit in February 2019, where the Americans rejected North Korean demands for major sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear capability. Some analysts believe North Korea will avoid serious talks with the Americans for now before attempting an eventual return to negotiations after the US election in November. They say North Korea likely doesn’t want to make any major commitments or concessions when there is a chance US leadership could change. The prolonged stalemate in nuclear talks have raised doubts on whether Kim Jong Un would ever agree to fully relinquish the nukes he likely sees as his strongest guarantee of survival.

Source: Manila Times July 16, 2020 05:27 UTC