The warning delivered a jolt of reality, underscoring that despite weeks of positive steps by North Korea and Trump's gusher of praise for Kim, the process of negotiating with the inscrutable state remains as treacherous as ever. First, North Korea shocked Washington by lashing out at US-South Korea military drills, saying they could lead to the summit being scrapped. Kim was clearly signaling he's not done yet with the classic North Korean strategy of provocations and demands. "The North Korean pattern is to do provocations whether it is tests of missiles or nukes, ask for negotiations then string us along for months and years," he said. The North Korean curveball left the White House with a dilemma about how to respond.

Source: CNN May 16, 2018 05:03 UTC