Mike Pompeo says North Korea could get ‘unique’ security guarantees if it gives up nukes
US President Donald Trump holds a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore on Tuesday
The United States is prepared to provide North Korea “unique” security guarantees if it undertakes “complete verifiable and irreversible” denuclearisation, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said on Monday.
Speaking on the eve of the historic summit between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, he said that preparatory talks between officials on both sides to narrow differences were advancing more quickly than expected.
“They are moving rapidly … and moving to their logical conclusion.”
Pompeo also expressed confidence of a “successful outcome” but said that the summit would also lead to a lot more to be done in the path ahead, providing a “framework for the hard work that will follow”.
And until denuclearisation takes place, sanctions against North Korea would remain in place, he stressed.
He said if diplomacy fails to move in the right direction, the sanctions “will increase”.
Pompeo also said that Trump had called Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean president Moon Jae-in.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
