Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un made history Tuesday, June 12, becoming the first sitting US and North Korean leaders to meet and shake hands, as they seek to end a tense decades-old nuclear stand-off.

The two men strode toward each other and shared the momentous handshake beneath the white-washed walls of an upscale hotel in neutral Singapore, before sitting down for a half-day of meetings with major ramifications for the world.


They shook hands for several seconds, Trump reaching out to touch the North Korean leader on his right shoulder.

As they sat down for their one-on-one meeting, the US leader predicted a "terrific relationship" with Kim.

The extraordinary summit was unthinkable only months ago.

Then, the two nuclear-armed foes appeared on the verge of conflict, as Kim conducted nuclear and missile tests and the two leaders slung personal insults.

Trump had cajoled the international community to exert "maximum pressure" to buckle Kim's regime and threatened to unleash "fire and fury like the world has never seen" if Pyongyang did not disarm.

For his part, Kim called the US leader "mentally deranged" and a "dotard" as he fired off a series of provocative weapons tests.

That seemed a distant memory amid the palms of the ultra-exclusive Capella Hotel.

It is a potentially legacy-defining meeting for both men – comparable to president Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China, or Ronald Reagan's summit 1986 with Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik.

And it is part of what Trump calls a "one-time" offer to resolve the stand-off through diplomacy.

"We will all know soon whether or not a real deal, unlike those of the past, can happen!" Trump tweeted shortly before departing for the summit.

Hugely symbolic talks

The pair – Kim in his 30s and consolidating his dictatorship, Trump in his 70s and struggling to bend Washington to his impetuous will – are unlikely protagonists, both instantly recognizable, so much larger-than-life as to be cartoonish.

But their work today is deadly serious.

They represent nations that are still technically at war, even if the mortars, carbines and gunships of the bloody 1950s conflict have long since fallen silent.

But that frozen Cold War-era conflict risks being thawed by North Korea's increasingly potent weapons programs.

The totalitarian regime is on the cusp of marrying nuclear and missile technology that would put Los Angeles, New York and Washington within striking distance of a nuclear holocaust.

The United States says that is unacceptable and will be dealt with, one way or another.

For North Korea the talks are hugely significant.

Standing beside the US president in front of a phalanx of cameras is an enormous step toward ending decades of international isolation and legitimizes a regime which is among the world's most ruthless.

'Brighter future'

Still, it remains far from clear that Pyongyang is willing to give up its nukes -— weapons that may be the ultimate guarantee of regime survival.

On the eve of the meeting, aides for both men were still scrambling to narrow yawning differences over "denuclearization", which means vastly different things to the two parties.

Trump will use what he says are legendary instincts to see whether Kim if bluffing, buying time or is serious.

In return, his administration may be willing to offer security guarantees, normalization of relations, sanctions relief and economic aid that would transform North Korea from the sick man of Asia.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on the eve of the summit that the United States is willing to offer the regime "unique" security guarantees.

"We will take actions to provide them sufficient certainty that they can be comfortable that denuclearization is not something that ends badly for them," Pompeo said.

"Just the opposite. That it leads to a brighter and better future for the North Korean people."

Kim and Trump will first meet one-on-one in a closed session, before a larger meeting with key advisers, US officials said.

But the summit itself is unlikely to be the end game, more likely it is the start of a longer process of negotiation.

Pompeo said he was "very optimistic we will have a successful outcome with the two leaders."

"There are only two people that can make decisions of this magnitude. Those two people will sit in a room tomorrow."

However, Washington's top diplomat also warned the United States would not be "duped" and that nothing less than complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization was acceptable.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/trump-kim-singapore-summittrump-kim.html

Cool

I am not a fan of Kim but he should not make the mistake made by Gaddafi and Sadam Hussein who abandoned their Nuclear program only to be killed after wards

3rd to comment. this space is not for sale. beware of my uncle yahaya bello omo ale jati jati. thaink u!

Son meets Grandpa......

maybe seun qave the mods a pay raise that's why one of them is trying to be nice by moving topics by this time of the night

Angela Merkel : Guy did u really had that 3some with that hooker?

This is a historic moment!

Develop the nuclear weapons, gain full mastery, guaranty the security of your country, then come to the negotiating table.

Long Live Kim
Long Live Trump

Kim no follow Gaddafi footstep o

2 super powers or a super power and a wannabe

After Trump called you fat monkey

It was really an historical meeting.. Good for them

Indeed it's a good TRANSMISSION!!

I hope USA will give up their nuclear warheads too...

Violence is not always the solution

This extraordinary summit was unthinkable only months ago....

Lexusgs430:
Son meets Grandpa......

And grandpa be like you no fit respect me? sho mo age mi ni?

So Kim is in His 30's?? Unbelievable

And at 30 some Nlanders are still asking us what to do if their gf presses toothpaste from the top.

AgbitiOnne:
I am not a fan of Kim but he should not make the mistake made by Gaddafi and Sadam Hussein who abandoned their Nuclear program only to be killed after wards

Did they?

GOD'S OWN COUNTRY

Marvyx:
So Kim is in His 30's?? Unbelievable

And at 30 some Nlanders are still asking us what to do if their gf presses toothpaste from the top.

Hahaha

abiodunalasa:
Angela Merkel : Guy did u really had that 3some with that hooker?

una no won sleep

KendrickAyomide:
maybe seun qave the mods a pay raise that's why one of them is trying to be nice by moving topics by this time of the night

This is historical man, we are talking world peace here.

To be an effective leader or president you need to ignore the press or your opposition.
That's what Trump is doing with the biggest news media in US CNN and the opposition party and like him or not, he's performing, check the statistics.

Little rocket man!

This is cool... imagine small north Korea giving U.S sleepless night.
And when our oga visited trump he was showed how to spell his own Name.
Sophisticated morons almost shutdown social media for numerous crap about bubu and trump.

The world is changing...!


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Very historic indeed!

Just wonder if its of any eschatological importance.

This is what is called 'CHANGE''.

This is what CHANGE means.

This is what CHANGE brings.

Kim has used initial gra gra to gain world power status for North Korea. Nice one kiddo