Trump says date, place set for North Korea meeting

President Trump said on Friday that the date and location were set for a meeting with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un. (File photo: Reuters)

President Donald Trump on Friday told reporters that the date and location were set for a meeting with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, and that the details would be announced soon.

The White House has said the historic summit with the Asian leader could take place this month, as long as North Korea made certain concessions.

On Friday, speaking to reporters from the White House South Lawn before departing for Dallas, Trump says “we now have a date and we have a location. We’ll be announcing it soon.”

While answering reporters’ questions, he said “a lot of things have happened” with respect to Americans currently being held in North Korea.

Trump suggested on Monday that he was looking for the meeting to be held at the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas. That’s where Kim met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in last Friday.

On Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence postponed a planned trip to Brazil at the end of May to free up resources for Trump’s meeting with Kim.

US troop presence

Meanwhile, the White House is denied a published report that President Trump is seeking options to reduce the US troop presence on the Korean peninsula.

The New York Times reported on Friday that Trump ordered the Pentagon to prepare options for drawing down US troops in South Korea, just weeks before he meets with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Trump has expressed frustration that South Korea does not contribute enough to fund US forces that bolster its defenses.

National security adviser John Bolton said Friday that Trump “has not asked the Pentagon to provide options for reducing American forces stationed in South Korea.”

The White House hasn’t said whether Trump is willing to place US troop levels on the negotiating table when he meets with Kim.

Source:english.alarabiya.net