Mar 9, 2018 - World

White House: "The president is hopeful" about North Korea meeting

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Friday that President Trump is "hopeful" about the proposed meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, but made clear that the meeting will not take place until the U.S. sees "concrete actions on the promises they've made." Sanders added that a time and place have not yet been determined.

Worth noting: Sanders said that the White House "made zero concessions" by agreeing to talks with North Korea, adding that North Korea "promised to denuclearize." However, the South Korean national security adviser only said that North Korea "is committed to denuclearization."

More from Sanders:

  • "The president’s maximum pressure campaign has clearly been effective."
  • She said China and others have stepped up and done more than they did with previous administrations. "This is a collective effort."
  • Tillerson's deputy was in the room for the discussions with South Korea and North Korea, and said it's absurd to think Tillerson was kept out of the loop.
  • "The president has been preparing for [the meeting] for quite some time in his regular briefings with the intelligence community and national security team."

President Trump also spoke with Chinese president Xi Jinping by phone this afternoon, and the two leaders" welcomed the prospect" of dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea, according to the White House.

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