North Korea threatens to withdraw from summit with Trump

[fredtoast]

(04-18-2019, 09:29 AM)GMDino Wrote: https://www.apnews.com/2ff1e53cfc9d42a7821c7f4e6a740642

Who could be so dimwitted and unprepared to continually get played by Kim while being warned by virtually everyone?

Maybe Kim is just getting desperate?

But it still looks like Trump may be getting played by one of his other buddies

"Russia announced Thursday that Kim will visit later this month for talks at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin, but gave no further details. Russian media have been abuzz in recent days with rumors about the rare meeting between the leaders.

Putin is to visit China later this month, and some media speculated that he could meet with Kim in Vladivostok, the far eastern port city near the border with North Korea."

[GMDino]

Well, Trump's way seems to be working well.  

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48032592

Quote:Kim Jong-un in Russia for Vladimir Putin summit



Mr Kim arrived by train in the Pacific Coast city of Vladivostok for his first talks with the Russian president, which are expected to start on Thursday.
He was welcomed by officials with a traditional offering of bread and salt.

Russia says they will discuss the Korean peninsula's "nuclear problem" but Mr Kim is also said to be seeking support after talks with the US failed.
US President Donald Trump and Mr Kim met in Hanoi earlier this year to discuss North Korea's nuclear weapons programme but the summit - their second - ended without agreement.








The North Korean leader greeted Russian officials warmly on his arrival in Vladivostok.

After tasting traditional korovai bread and salt, Mr Kim was entertained by a brass band before he got inside a car flanked by bodyguards who - in now familiar scenes - jogged alongside the vehicle as it departed.

Quote:[/url]Sarah Rainsford@sarahrainsford




Lenin has the best view for Kim Jong-un arrival in Vladivostok

[url=https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=1120958563273322496]12
3:52 AM - Apr 24, 2019

"I arrived in Russia bearing the warm feelings of our people, and as I already said, I hope this visit will be successful and useful," Mr Kim told Russian TV earlier, after crossing the border at Khasan.

"I hope that during the talks with respected President Putin, I will be able to discuss in a concrete manner issues relating to the settlement of the situation on the Korean peninsula, and to the development of our bilateral relations."


What do we know about the summit?
It is due to take place on Thursday afternoon at about 13:00 (03:00 GMT) on Russky island, just off Vladivostok, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry 


Peskov was quoted as saying by Russia's Interfax news agency.


Russian and North Korean national flags are already in place on the island, where the leaders are expected to meet on a university campus.


Mr Putin was expected to arrive for the summit later.


According to his spokesman, the Kremlin believes the six-party talks on North Korea, which are currently stalled, are the only efficient way of addressing the issue of nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula.


Those talks, which began in 2003, involve the two Koreas as well as China, Japan, Russia and the US.


"There are no other efficient international mechanisms at the moment," Mr Peskov told reporters.


"But, on the other hand, efforts are being made by other countries. Here all efforts merit support as long as they really aim at de-nuclearisation and resolving the problem of the two Koreas."


What do both sides want?
This visit is being widely viewed as an opportunity for North Korea to show it has powerful allies following the breakdown of nuclear talks with the US earlier this year, the BBC's Laura Bicker says.


The country has blamed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for the collapse of the Hanoi summit in February.


Earlier this month North Korea demanded that Mr Pompeo be removed from nuclear talks, accusing him of "talking nonsense" and asking for someone "more careful" to replace him.


The summit is also an opportunity for Pyongyang to show that its economic future does not depend solely on the US, our correspondent adds.







Mr Kim may also try to put pressure on Moscow to ease sanctions.



Analysts believe this summit is a chance for Russia to show that it is an important player on the Korean peninsula.


President Putin has been eager to meet the North Korean leader for quite some time. Yet amid the two Trump-Kim summits, the Kremlin has been somewhat sidelined.


Russia, like the US and China, is uncomfortable with North Korea being a nuclear state.

Senior officials say the Kremlin is hoping to see a reduction in tensions on the peninsula.


Mr Putin's foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, said the situation there had "stabilised somewhat" in recent months.


"Russia intends to help in any way possible to cement that positive trend," he told reporters on Tuesday.


A South Korean foreign ministry spokesman said Russia "shares our viewpoints" on denuclearisation and peace on the peninsula.
Nuclear activity seems to be continuing in North Korea, and the country said it had tested a new "tactical guided weapon" - thought to be a short-range missile - earlier in April.


How close are Russia and North Korea?
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union (of which Russia is the main successor state) maintained close military and trade links with its communist ally, North Korea, for ideological and strategic reasons.

After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, trade links with post-communist Russia shrank and North Korea leaned towards China as its main ally.


Under President Putin, Russia recovered economically and in 2014 he wrote off most of North Korea's Soviet-era debt in a major goodwill gesture.
While it is arguable how much leverage Russia has with the North today, the communist state still regards it as one of the least hostile foreign powers.

[fredtoast]

I'll give Putin credit for being 100% correct about one thing

"According to his spokesman, the Kremlin believes the six-party talks on North Korea, which are currently stalled, are the only efficient way of addressing the issue of nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula.

Those talks, which began in 2003, involve the two Koreas as well as China, Japan, Russia and the US."

It is going to take a coordinated international effort to address the problem of NK's nukes. No one country will be able to fix anything.

[*bfine32*]

(04-24-2019, 02:58 PM)GMDino Wrote: Well, Trump's way seems to be working well.  

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48032592

I agree. These Russian talks could lead to something and were most likely set up because Trump shunned Kim at their last one. So seldom we agree; it's nice to every now and then. 

[fredtoast]

(04-24-2019, 06:25 PM)bfine32 Wrote: These Russian talks could lead to something and were most likely set up because Trump shunned Kim at their last one. 

Damn, son, you live deeper in the echo chamber than I realized.

“This wasn’t a walkaway like you get up and walk out,” Trump told reporters. “No, this was very friendly. We shook hands. . . . There’s a warmth that we have, and I hope that stays. I think it will. But we’re positioned to do something very special.”

[*bfine32*]

(04-24-2019, 06:48 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Damn, son, you live deeper in the echo chamber than I realized.

“This wasn’t a walkaway like you get up and walk out,” Trump told reporters. “No, this was very friendly. We shook hands. . . . There’s a warmth that we have, and I hope that stays. I think it will. But we’re positioned to do something very special.”

I doubt anyone on the planet, with whom you disagree, lives deeper in the echo chamber than you claim. If they were all only as enlightened and self-opinionated as you. 

[GMDino]

(04-24-2019, 06:25 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I agree. These Russian talks could lead to something and were most likely set up because Trump shunned Kim at their last one. So seldom we agree; it's nice to every now and then. 

Every week (at least) I am shown how people don't get humor on these boards.     (I spent about six weeks being proven right about that once.  )

If you truly believed that DJT should get any credit for anything and he didn't tweet about it (repeatedly) saying it was his doing then Fred may be right that you are deeper in the echo chamber than any "real" Trump supporter...which you "not".

Nonetheless *I* bet Trump is happy his daddy Putin is in the news.  

[JustWinBaby]

Right now, Trump has failed, and succeeded, pretty much as much as every other POTUS before him with respect to NK, Iran, etc....

Playing hardball with Russia and China might be the only solution, but even the arrogant Trump lacks the fortitude to take the economic hit. That's why these moves fail - those guys don't have to worry about re-election.

But it's also not just about our own fortitude. If the rest of the world won't abide by the sanctions, it just won't work.

[fredtoast]

(04-30-2019, 04:50 AM)JustWinBaby Wrote:  If the rest of the world won't abide by the sanctions, it just won't work.

We had pretty much every country of any significance on board with the sanctions against Iran until Trump pulled us out of that deal.

[Dill]

(04-30-2019, 11:34 AM)fredtoast Wrote: We had pretty much every country of any significance on board with the sanctions against Iran until Trump pulled us out of that deal.

And sanctions worked pretty well to bring Iran to the table.  Now there is the added problem of Trump's attempt/threats to force allies and signatories to the Iran deal to comply with sanctions again--regardless of the cost to their economies. The US has become such a bad and inept hegemon!

Regarding NK, Trump has accomplished what no president before him has.

1. He let Kim out of the Box.  Now the guy is traveling around the world meeting foreign leaders. Jeez, Kim even put in an appearance at the Asian Games as Indonesia's guest last summer.

2. Now that its "ok" to meet with Kim, it will become much harder to keep sanctions on him--especially US-lead sanctions.

Sanctions are difficult to create and enforce, but US diplomacy had them working on Iran and NK--until Trump.

[Bengalzona]

(05-03-2019, 03:49 PM)Dill Wrote: And sanctions worked pretty well to bring Iran to the table.  Now there is the added problem of Trump's attempt/threats to force allies and signatories to the Iran deal to comply with sanctions again--regardless of the cost to their economies.  The US has become such a bad and inept hegemon!

Regarding NK, Trump has accomplished what no president before him has.

1. He let Kim out of the Box.  Now the guy is traveling around the world meeting foreign leaders. Jeez, Kim even put in an appearance at the Asian Games as Indonesia's guest last summer.

2. Now that its "ok" to meet with Kim, it will become much harder to keep sanctions on him--especially US-lead sanctions.

Sanctions are difficult to create and enforce, but US diplomacy had them working on Iran and NK--until Trump.

Worse than any of this, it now gives future 'bad actor' nations a blueprint of how to deal with the U.S.

Our leadership in the world has pretty much been effectively undermined by our own national leadership. And that compromises our national security. But that is what xenophobia does.

[Dill]

(05-03-2019, 05:46 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: Worse than any of this, it now gives future 'bad actor' nations a blueprint of how to deal with the U.S.

Our leadership in the world has pretty much been effectively undermined by our own national leadership. And that compromises our national security. But that is what xenophobia does.

That is an excellent point. 

Now NK has tested a medium range missile and demanded that Pompeo be removed from negotiations.  Plus we owe them 2 million for Warmbier's bills.

LOL Trump "shaking things up" and doing "what no president has done before."  

[Bengalzona]

(05-06-2019, 03:53 PM)Dill Wrote: That is an excellent point. 

Now NK has tested a medium range missile and demanded that Pompeo be removed from negotiations.  Plus we owe them 2 million for Warmbier's bills.

LOL Trump "shaking things up" and doing "what no president has done before."  

I may be the only person in the country who feels way, but I felt that we should have invaded North Korea in the early 2000's rather than Iraq.

[Dill]

(05-06-2019, 04:38 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: I may be the only person in the country who feels way, but I felt that we should have invaded North Korea in the early 2000's rather than Iraq.

Wouldn't that be a far bigger mess than Iraq, though? 

Would China sit still for that? Would SK and Japan and Russia be ok with that? 

I think sanctions were the only way to go, with one presidency handing off to the next.

[Bengalzona]

(05-07-2019, 10:30 AM)Dill Wrote: Wouldn't that be a far bigger mess than Iraq, though? 

Would China sit still for that? Would SK and Japan and Russia be ok with that? 

I think sanctions were the only way to go, with one presidency handing off to the next.

We never adequately resolved business there. We have left it an open wound for 66 years. It would be better for the U.S. if the whole Korean peninsula were under a common government, be it communist or democratic.

In the meantime, China and Russia have been able to utilize North Korea as a constant thorn in our side. This use has been accelerating during the past few years, particularly with Russia:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korea-s-new-missile-has-russian-fingerprints-all-over-n1004151?fbclid=IwAR2DnCwkcZFkVPiCVatdg-GORdY_JGsuFhNpiuc3PqSh13sIAWMXDnfLtUE

But, instead, we chose to use our resources to invade and occupy Iraq at the behest of the Saudis because then the Saudis could funnel money back to our politicians' private companies.

[fredtoast]

(05-10-2019, 12:47 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: We never adequately resolved business there. We have left it an open wound for 66 years. It would be better for the U.S. if the whole Korean peninsula were under a common government, be it communist or democratic.

In the meantime, China and Russia have been able to utilize North Korea as a constant thorn in our side. This use has been accelerating during the past few years, particularly with Russia:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korea-s-new-missile-has-russian-fingerprints-all-over-n1004151?fbclid=IwAR2DnCwkcZFkVPiCVatdg-GORdY_JGsuFhNpiuc3PqSh13sIAWMXDnfLtUE

But, instead, we chose to use our resources to invade and occupy Iraq at the behest of the Saudis because then the Saudis could funnel money back to our politicians' private companies.

We can not just keep invading countries that are not a threat to us.

You people act like it is nothing to kill our brave young soldiers.

China would not have stood for us invading NK and it would have been an EPIC mess.

[Bengalzona]

(05-10-2019, 01:12 PM)fredtoast Wrote: We can not just keep invading countries that are not a threat to us.

You people act like it is nothing to kill our brave young soldiers.

China would not have stood for us invading NK and it would have been an EPIC mess.

If war with China is inevitable, as a lot of people believe, it would have been better to have fought it 15 or 20 years ago.

Even moreso with Russia.

[fredtoast]

(05-10-2019, 01:17 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: If war with China is inevitable, as a lot of people believe, it would have been better to have fought it 15 or 20 years ago.

Even moreso with Russia.

Very few people think we will ever go to war with China.  They need us as consumers, and we like to buy their cheap products.

In fact China has invested so much in the United States through the purchase of government bonds that they would be cutting their own throats by attacking us.

[Bengalzona]

(05-10-2019, 01:30 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Very few people think we will ever go to war with China.  They need us as consumers, and we like to buy their cheap products.

In fact China has invested so much in the United States through the purchase of government bonds that they would be cutting their own throats by attacking us.

If that is true, then that supports moving on North Korea even more. Why would they risk getting involved if they have so much to lose?

[fredtoast]

(05-10-2019, 01:47 PM)Bengalzona Wrote:  Why would they risk getting involved if they have so much to lose?

Because NK borders China.  We become a direct security threat if we prove that we are willing to invade countries that are not a threat to usand we are taking over a country that borders China.

And I said we BOTH have too much at risk.