SINGAPORE — President Trump said Saturday that a Singapore summit deal could make North Korea “great” — but North Korea leader Kim Jong-un must seize this one and only chance to make peace.
“He can take that nation, with those great people, and truly make it great,” said Mr. Trump. “So it’s a one-time shot and I think it is going to work out very well.”
Although he was putting pressure on Mr. Kim to make an agreement in Singapore, the president also has said that it likely will take several meetings to hammer out the details of dismantling Pyongyang’s extensive nuclear weapons program.
The president left no doubt that he’s looking for a breakthrough in Singapore.
“He has an opportunity,” he said. “This is a great time.”
Mr. Trump made the remarks in Quebec as he prepared to leave for the summit in Singapore.
The president was in Canada for a meeting of the Group of Seven major economic countries that began Friday.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim are set to meet Tuesday to broker a deal for North Korea to give up nuclear weapons.
The president is offering economic and security incentives that would bring the reclusive communist regime into the community of free nations.
Mr. Trump said he was on “a mission of peace.”
He said he felt confident about brokering a historic deal with North Korea, which has technically been at war with the U.S. since 1950 — the 1953 agreement ending hostilities is technically an armistice.
However, North Korea has broken four previous agreement to end its nuclear weapons program.
“I feel Kim Jong un wants to do something great for his people and he has that opportunity,” said Mr. Trump. “And he’s never going to have that opportunity again.”
Mr. Kim was expected to arrive Sunday Singapore’s Changi airport, reported Reuters citing sources involved in planning the trip.
Mr. Trump left Saturday afternoon for the approximately 22-hour flight to Singapore.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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