Statements from US Officials Ahead of the Second Round of Trump-Kim Negotiations

The President of the United States says that in the upcoming meeting with the leader of North Korea, both expect progress to be made. Mike Pompeo expressed hope in a television interview that a 'significant step forward' will be taken, although he added, 'it may not happen.' Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un are set to meet for the second time on February 27-28 in Vietnam. The two leaders had a meeting last spring in Singapore and agreed to take steps toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. However, since then, Pyongyang has not taken significant practical steps toward disarmament, although it has not conducted any missile or nuclear tests during this time. On February 24, Trump tweeted, 'I will be heading to Hanoi (the capital of) Vietnam early tomorrow morning for my meeting with Kim Jong-un (the leader) of North Korea; we expect to continue the progress made at the Singapore summit.' Trump then added, 'Denuclearization?' In another tweet on the same day, he wrote, 'It’s very funny to see people who have been unsuccessful for years and have gotten nothing, (but) tell me how to negotiate with North Korea. But anyway, thank you.' Over the past months, various reports have indicated that North Korea has not taken significant action to dismantle its nuclear arsenal and ballistic missiles, while several monitoring organizations, think tanks, and media have reported the existence of some secret and undeclared military facilities. On the other hand, Pyongyang has expressed its dissatisfaction with issues such as the continuation of sanctions, lack of progress toward achieving a peace treaty on the Korean Peninsula (the two Koreas have been in a ceasefire for nearly seven decades), and also the joint military exercises by the US in the region. Since the beginning of the recent improvement in relations with the United States, Pyongyang has refrained from conducting missile and nuclear tests. Keychains with pictures of Trump and Kim are available in shops in Hanoi. Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, is another senior official who has spoken about the upcoming negotiations. On Sunday, he expressed hope in an interview with Fox that a 'significant step forward' would be taken, but cautiously added, 'it may not happen, but I hope it does.' News agencies like the Associated Press and Reuters have described the statements of White House officials as 'preparing' public opinion or 'diminishing' excessive expectations from the meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in Vietnam. The US Secretary of State also stated that he believes North Korea remains a threat. He told CNN that the commitments Kim has made 'have significantly reduced the dangers posed to the American people.' Pompeo expressed hope that a 'roadmap' would be established between the two countries, but he said he currently does not intend to comment on issues such as the formal end of the war on the Korean Peninsula or the withdrawal of some American troops from South Korea. The US Secretary of State emphasized that 'denuclearizing (North Korea) in a verifiable way' remains the main goal of the US government, and the White House has not made any new decisions regarding the status of sanctions. On the other side of the political scene in the US, Senator Ed Markey, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed 'concern' about the negotiations in Vietnam and said Trump must be 'careful' with the proposals he wants to make. Senator Markey told CBS, 'Nothing is clear, and I think the outcome may be that Kim will receive concessions that are not equivalent to the real concessions that the United States receives from Kim and his government.' In recent hours, North Korean state media, which form part of the country's propaganda apparatus, have also published some 'expectations' from the upcoming meeting, stating that if Pyongyang and Washington can reach a 'common understanding and respect,' they can achieve 'a result that is beneficial for both sides.' Kim Jong-un has set off for Hanoi by train. Trump will travel to the capital of Vietnam on Monday, US time.