President Donald Trump on Thursday called off a summit meeting with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un that had been scheduled to take place next month in Singapore.
“Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting,” said Trump in a letter addressed to “his excellency” Kim Jong Un. “Therefore, please let this letter serve to represent that the Singapore summit, for the good of both parties, but to the detriment of the world, will not take place.”
“This missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history,” he added.
NEW: Trump calls off Singapore Summit with Kim Jong Un
“It is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting" pic.twitter.com/EIz75iwQaB
— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) May 24, 2018
The letter was classic Trump. In addition to an oversize signature, the note carried several unique flourishes, including fresh reminders about the United States’ nuclear arsenal.
“You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used,” said Trump. The president also took a moment to “thank” Kim for releasing three U.S. hostages in advance of the summit he was cancelling.
“I want to thank you for the release of the hostages who are now home with their families. That was a beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated.”
Trump stunned the world earlier this year when he accepted an invitation from Kim Jong Un for a summit meeting to discuss denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. After some initial back and forth both sides had planned to meet in Singapore on June 12 — less than three weeks from today.
After some initial talk that everything would be on the table, North Korea backpedaled in a statement on Wednesday to which Trump referred in his letter.
“If the US is trying to drive us into a corner to force our unilateral nuclear abandonment, we will no longer be interested in such dialogue and cannot but reconsider our proceeding to the DPRK-US summit,” said Kim Kye Gwan, a vice foreign minister, who also said his side felt “repugnance” toward National Security Adviser John Bolton.
In the weeks since the summit was announced, Kim Jong Un held two secretive meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It is unclear what they spoke about or what effect China has had on North Korea’s recent behavior.