Trump-Kim Singapore Summit: US Prez says North Korean leader agreed to destroy a 'major' missile testing site
The historic summit between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was held today in Singapore's Sentosa Island. The first-ever meeting between a US president and a North Korean leader kicked off with a handshake, and ended with optimism as the US president predicted that he and Kim Jong Un 'will solve a big problem, a big dilemma'. Trump and Kim were later joined by their aides for the nuclear meet, followed by a working lunch and press interaction.
Also read | Trump-Kim Singapore Summit day: Excitement high, expectations lower
After two rounds of meetings, working lunch and a stroll around the resort where the meeting was held, the two leaders have signed a 'comprehensive document', the contents of which are still unknown. But Trump and Kim have promised that the deal will make the world very happy. Kim declared that "world will see a major change" and he and Trump "decided to leave the past behind" as they sign document.
Also read | Is North Korean leader really ready to pack nuclear missiles away in deal with US Prez?
AS IT HAPPENED:
3.56 pm: US president Donald Trump leaves Singapore after summit with North Korea
02:50 pm: India welcomes the United States - DPRK Summit held in Singapore. This is a positive development. India has always supported all efforts to bring about peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy: MEA
02:45 pm: Japan PM hails Trump-Kim agreement as 'first step', reports AFP
02:38 pm: President Trump says follow up US-North Korea talks to take place next week
02:30 pm: North Korea sanctions will remain in place: Trump.
02:20 pm: I had a good meeting with G7 but we have been taken advantage of by all the countries of G7. The picture with Angela Merkel, where I am sitting on the chair, we were just talking & waiting for documents: US President Donald Trump in Singapore
02:16 pm: US is 'prepared to start a new history' with North Korea, says Trump
02:12 pm: Trump says Kim Jong Un has accepted his invitation to visit the White House sometime in the future.
02:12 pm: Trump says he discussed human rights with Kim Jong Un, will hold more conversations on that in the future
02:06 pm: Kim Jong Un has the chance to seize a better future for his country. Anyone can make war but only the most courageous can make peace: US President Donald Trump in Singapore
02:05 am: Trump says he will stop conducting US 'war games' with South Korea, ultimately wants to 'bring our soldiers home'
02:00 pm: Trump says former North Korea detainee Otto Warmbier 'did not die in vain' because his death brought about US talks.
01:55 pm: Trump says Kim Jong Un agreed to destroy a 'major' missile testing site, but doesn't offer details.
11:58 am: Kim commits to 'complete denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula' in joint text, says AFP report
11:58 am: Trump-Kim document commits US to 'security guarantees', eyes establishment of 'new US-DPRK relations' (reports AFP)
11:40 am: Trump, Kim Jong Un shake hands, exchange farewells without interpreters as Singapore summit ends.
11:39 am: Both leaders characterised the document they signed as historic though neither provided details. Trump said the details would come later.
11:27 am: 'We'll meet again and we'll met many times', says US President Donald Trump, when asked if he & North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet again in the future, reports ANI
11:23 am: Kim declares "world will see a major change" and he and Trump "decided to leave the past behind" as they sign document.
11:15 am: 'Absolutely', says US President Donald Trump, when asked if he would invite North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to the White House.
11:15 am: Trump says he and Kim Jong Un have developed 'a very special bond', promises that North Korea denuclearization process will be starting 'very quickly', reports AP
11:13 am: The US President terms the signed document pretty comprehensive, says the world will be very happy with what they have achieved today, 'it will solve a big problem for the world'.
11:13 am: US President, North Korean leader sign an agreement, trump says 'we are very proud'
10:26 am: US President Donald Trump shows North Korea's Kim Jong Un interior of presidential limousine as they stroll during summit, reports AP
US President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un walk from their lunch at the Capella resort on Sentosa Island on Tuesday
10:24 am: Trump, with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, announces they will sign unspecified document shortly, reports AP
10:15 am: US President Donald Trump expects 'signing' with Kim Jong Un after the summit , reports Reuters
10:15 am: Trump hails 'really fantastic' meeting with Kim, says 'a lot of progress' made, reports AFP
10:11 am: Better than anyone would have ever expected: US President Donald Trump after his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (ANI)
10:05 am: I think the entire world is watching this moment. Many people in the world will think of this as a scene from a fantasy, science-fiction movie: Kim Jong Un, North Korean Leader - reports ANI
09:30 am: The meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump ends. The two are expected to address a press conference later.
09:10 am: The delegation level talks between the US and North Korea carry on to working lunch. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are chatting over a lunch of beef short ribs, sweet and sour crispy pork and braised codfish. Details released by the White House show that lunch began with a prawn cocktail and avocado salad, and green mango kerabu with honey lime dressing and octopus. Side dishes included potato dauphinois, steamed broccolini, fried rice and Asian vegetables. Dessert included dark chocolate tartlet and Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream: AP report
09:08 am: India TV Correspondent Amit Palit reports from Singapore: Any doubts about the success of the meeting between Trump and Kim are fast dispelling as the White House has issued a menu for the working lunch, which indicates that everything is going well in the nuclear meeting
07:58 am: We overcame all kinds of skepticism and speculations about this summit and I believe that this is good for the peace: Kim Jong Un
07:40 am: Trump's entourage for the nuclear meeting includes his chief of staff John Kelly, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton. Kim Jong un is flanked by a group of trusted lieutenants, with at least four high-powered women including his own sister.
07:32 am: In the nuclear meeting with Kim Jong Un, Trump says that by 'working together, we will get it taken care of'
07:30 am: Trump predicts that he and Kim Jong Un 'will solve a big problem, a big dilemma', reports AP
07:26 am: Trump says one-on-one meeting with Kim Jong Un was 'very, very good,' says they have an 'excellent relationship', reports AP
07:20 am: The meeting between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ends, teams head for delegation-level talks
07:11 am: China is using North Korea as puppet to further its international goal. It might not be easy for Kim Jong Un to act against China's set agenda: Harshvardhan Tripathi, Senior Journalist to India TV
07:06 am: South Korea must be a crucial participant of any talks between North Korea and the US as it is the main regional player and has a lot to lose or gain from the talks: RP Kaushik, former diplomat to India TV
07:04 am: India TV Correspondent Amit Palit reports from Singapore: There is an air of skepticism about today's deal among international media as the US has the history of breaking deals just like it did in case of the Iran nuclear deal.
06:45 am: President Donald Trump is predicting that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will have “a terrific relationship” as they meet face to face for the first time. Trump said Tuesday after meeting Kim that he’s feeling “really great.” He says, “We’re going to have a great discussion and a terrific relationship.”
Kim says through an interpreter that it “was not easy to get here” and that there “were obstacles but we overcame them to be here.”
The two men are expected to meet on their own for the better part of an hour, with only a pair of interpreters in the room. That decision has raised concerns about the risk of holding such a monumental meeting with barely anyone to bear witness.
06:40 am: The historic meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un begins.
In this image made from video provided by Host Broadcaster Mediacorp Pte Ltd, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shake hands ahead of their meeting at Capella Hotel in Singapore, Tuesday, June 12, 2018.
06:37 am: India TV Correspondent Amit Palit reports from Singapore: The White House press release from last night has revealed that most of the agreements have been hemmed, today's meeting will mostly be about signing the dotted line.
06:35 am: US President, North Korea leader shake hands before one-on-one meeting
06:30 am: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un steps out of limousine at venue for summit with President Donald Trump.
Kim Jong Un's convoy arrives on island
06:17 am: The convoys of both US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have arrived at Sentosa Island for the meeting. The two men are expected to share a handshake before they meet alone with a pair of interpreters for roughly 45 minutes while their entourages wait nearby.
06:00 am: Kim Jong Un's convoy arrives on island where North Korean leader will meet Donald Trump in summit.
05:50 am: Kim Jong Un's convoy leaves hotel for Singapore resort on Sentosa Island where the North Korean leader is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump, reports AP
05:48 am: Trump arrives at summit site on Singapore's Sentosa Island for historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, reports AP
05:41 am: Trump leaves hotel for historic summit with Kim, reports AFP
05:30 am: US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to meet at 6:30 am IST today
05:00 am: Defence Secretary Jim Mattis says the US has picked up no indications that North Korea’s military is in a heightened state of alert in the run-up to the Singapore summit. Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon on Monday that “All’s quiet” in North Korea. Mattis is declining to discuss his expectations for President Donald Trump’s meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
He says he does not expect it to include a negotiation over reducing the number of US troops in South Korea — currently about 28,000. He says that, at least initially, this is a matter between Washington and Seoul.
03:34 am: US President Donald Trump tweets: The fact that I am having a meeting is a major loss for the US, say the haters & losers. We have our hostages, testing, research and all missle launches have stoped, and these pundits, who have called me wrong from the beginning, have nothing else they can say! We will be fine!
The Goal: The US aim for the summit was to persuade North Korea for complete denuclearisation and accepting international scrutiny. But US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sought to keep expectations for the summit in check. “We are hopeful this summit will have set the conditions for future successful talks,” Pompeo said on Saturday.
It is a far cry from what Trump had outlines days ago. In the run-up to the talks, Trump had hopefully predicted the two men might strike a nuclear deal or forge a formal end to the Korean War in the course of a single meeting or over several days. However, on the eve of the summit, White House unexpectedly announced Trump would depart Singapore by Tuesday evening, meaning his time with Kim would be fairly brief.
(With inputs from agencies)
