Donald Trump ‘offered to ease ZTE sanctions to persuade China to help with North Korea summit’
An inside source said that ‘it doesn’t look like [North Korea] wants to denuclearise at all’ as US officials worry about the planned talks on June 12
The White House has been rattled by North Korea’s recent about-face in negotiations over its nuclear weapons programme, with US President Donald Trump calling South Korean President Moon Jae-in for his thoughts on the matter, an insider has revealed.
Fearing that China has poisoned North Korean leader Kim Jong-un against him, Trump also attempted to extend an olive branch to President Xi Jinping by offering to ease sanctions on Chinese telecoms company ZTE, a second source said.
North Korea demands Seoul return waitress ‘defectors’ from China
The moves come with just over three weeks to go before Trump is to meet Kim in Singapore on June 12 in a summit that Pyongyang has threatened to pull out of.
That came in sharp contrast to the more positive and constructive tone it held after Moon met Kim last month.
The call lasted less than 30 minutes, the official said, and is indicative of concerns in the White House, which has already sent an advance team to Singapore to work out logistics for the planned meeting.