Donald Trump, Kim Jong-un land in Singapore ahead of summit
US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have landed in Singapore ahead of Tuesday’s summit.
US President Donald Trump has arrived in Singapore ahead of a historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un over the future of Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal.
Trump flew into Singapore’s Paya Lebar Air Base aboard Air Force One, looking to lay the groundwork for a nuclear deal with one of America’s most bitter long-time foes, directly following his divisive meeting in Canada with some of Washington’s closest allies that further strained global trade ties.
Trump’s arrival on Sunday night came just hours after Kim, wearing his trademark dark “Mao suit” and distinctive high-cut hairstyle, landed in the ultra-modern city-state on his longest trip overseas as head of state.
Welcomed Chairman Kim Jong Un, who has just arrived in Singapore. pic.twitter.com/ZLK4ouIejx
— Vivian Balakrishnan (@VivianBala) June 10, 2018
Kim was greeted by Singapore’s foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, who posted a picture on Twitter of him shaking hands with Kim and the message: “Welcomed Chairman Kim Jong-un, who has just arrived in Singapore.” Later on Sunday, Kim left the St Regis hotel in central Singapore in a motorcade that included his stretch Mercedes Benz limousine and travelled to the presidential palace, known as the Istana, where he met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Kim said Singapore’s role would be recorded in history if the summit was a success.
“The entire world is watching this historic summit between Kim Jong-un and the United States of America. Thanks to your sincere efforts … we were able to complete preparations for the summit,” Kim said to Lee through an interpreter. Lee, in turn, thanked him for the opportunity to hold the summit.
Kim and Trump are due to meet on Tuesday on the resort island of Sentosa for their high-stakes summit, the first-ever talks between a US and North Korean leader and the culmination of a head-spinning diplomatic dance.
Such a meeting was unthinkable just months ago when Trump and Kim were exchanging insults and threats that raised fears of war in the region. But a series of diplomatic overtures involving North Korea, South Korea and the United States reduced tensions and led Trump in March to quickly accept Kim’s invitation to meet.
Trump initially touted the potential for a grand bargain with North Korea to rid itself of a nuclear missile program that has advanced rapidly to threaten the United States, insisting he would swiftly achieve what previous US administrations have failed to do.
But he has since lowered expectations, saying the talks would be more about starting a relationship with Kim for a negotiating process that would take more than one summit. This has included backing away from an original demand for North Korea’s swift denuclearisation.
Trump is due to meet with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday.
Reuters
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