United States President Donald Trump will greet three Americans released by North Korea at an airbase near Washington on Thursday, underscoring a much needed diplomatic win and a stepping stone to a historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The White House said all three men were able to walk unassisted onto a US Air Force plane that carried them and the secretary of state out of North Korea. Trump has demanded that North Korea give up its nukes while Kim has offered few indications of what he is willing to concede or what he will demand in return. North Korea has often insisted that the US withdraw support for South Korea, where 30,000-plus US military personnel are stationed. Officials in Washington believe the punitive economic measures have prompted fuel shortages in North Korea and increased tension inside the regime.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 10, 2018 00:00 UTC