Miami, USA, Apr 18 (EFE).- The President of the United States said Wednesday that there is a good chance of securing the release of three US citizens currently imprisoned in North Korea and assured that he could leave his upcoming meeting with the North Korean leader, if he believes that it is not “fruitful”.
At a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Donald Trump said he is confident that his meeting with Kim Jong-un, scheduled for June, will be a “worldwide success”.
“We hope to see the day when the whole Korean peninsula can live together in safety, prosperity and peace,” Trump told reporters from his private club in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
Asked if he is willing to meet with Kim even when the three Americans are imprisoned in North Korea, Trump responded that his government has been “negotiating” with Pyongyang on the issue.
“We are negotiating now. We are doing our very best. As you know, they’ve been there a very long time and it’s harsh treatment,” for the Americans in North Korea, he said.
“We are fighting very diligently to get the three Americans back, and there is a good chance of getting them back,” he said.
Trump said, however, that if he doesn’t think his meeting with Kim is going to be successful, he will cancel it.
“If we don’t think that it’s going to be successful we won’t have it…If the meeting when I’m there isn’t fruitful, I will respectfully leave the meeting,” the president assured.
Trump said Tuesday that he is evaluating five possible locations for his meeting with Kim, which will take place “in early June or before that, assuming everything goes well.”
CIA director and US Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo traveled to North Korea at Easter to meet with Kim, a high-level meeting that served to prepare for the meeting with Trump.
“It’s a historic moment, and possibly even more so if all goes well,” Trump said.
“We will not repeat the mistakes of other (American) governments. Our campaign of maximum pressure will continue until North Korea denuclearizes,” Trump added, saying the ideal would be to end nuclear weapons in all parts of the world.
Trump also said he is “exploring ways to accelerate the sale of US military equipment to Japan” and other allies.
“In some cases, it takes years before orders are delivered, by the bureaucracy of the Departments of Defense and State. Now it’s going to be a matter of days. If they are our allies, we will help them get these important military equipment,” Trump said.