Trump Says He Would Invite Kim Jong Un To US If Summit Goes Well
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WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump says that it appears his summit with Kim Jong Un is on for next week in Singapore, but says it's always subject to change.
Hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the Oval Office to hear his "ideas' on the talks, Trump says: "I hope it continues on this track. If it does the world will be a very happy place."
Abe requested the meeting with Trump to ensure Japan's interests are represented in the Trump-Kim meeting. Speaking through a translator, Abe said he hoped it would be a transformational moment for the region.
Trump says the two leaders will also discuss trade issues. Both Trump and Abe will be traveling to the G-7 meeting in Canada, where the president is expected to get an earful from U.S. allies unhappy with his recent tariffs on aluminum and steel.
Trump says he believes he's well-prepared for his upcoming sit-down with Un, adding he doesn't believe he needs much preparation for the summit.
Trump told reporters: "I don't think I have to prepare very much. It's about attitude. It's about willingness to get things done. But I think I've been prepared for this summit for a long time."
Of the summit, set for June 12 in Singapore, Trump says: "It's going to be much more than a photo op."
He adds: "I think it's going to be a very fruitful meeting, I think it's going to be an exciting meeting."
Trump says that despite press reports, former NBA star Dennis Rodman isn't invited to the summit and that he won't be playing golf with Kim.
Trump says of Rodman: "I like him. He's a nice guy. No, he was not invited."
Trump is telling Abe that he and South Korean leader Moon Jae-in have been "extremely helpful" ahead of his historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump says he is hopeful that the Singapore summit will lead to a "bright new future" for North Korea and the world. And he says the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula would lead to prosperity and peace for "all Koreans."
Abe said Thursday: "We shall never repeat the past mistakes." He says that the two leaders had an "in-depth and candid" exchange of views and that the two countries "are always together."
Trump says the two countries are working on a bilateral trade deal.
Trump says the United States would like to pursue normalizing relations with North Korea as part of his planned talks with Un.
Trump said Thursday that "normalizing relations is something that I would hope to do" once the negotiations are completed.
The meeting next week in Singapore will be the first of its kind between a leader of North Korea and a sitting president of the United States.
The two countries have been in a formal state of war since the Korean War in the 1950s.
Trump says there are a "lot of good factors lined up for North Korea."
Trump says he would "certainly" invite North Korea's Kim Jong Un to visit the United States if summit negotiations in Singapore go well.
But Trump said that he is also "totally prepared to walk" if things don't go well, noting that he "did it once before."
Trump says he'd probably favor the White House over his private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, as a venue for hosting Kim, saying: "Maybe we'll start with the White House."
Abe says Trump must address the fate of Japanese citizens held hostage in North Korea during his upcoming summit with leader Un.
Abe said that Trump "fully understands" the need to bring home at least a dozen Japanese citizens detained in North Korea.
He added that Trump "is one of the leaders who understands the issue the most, the greatest." Trump is slated to meet with Kim next week in Singapore.
Trump and Abe have discussed the issue many times, including during the president's visit to Tokyo last fall.
Abe also said that any deal Trump may make with Kim must address all weapons of mass destruction and midrange ballistic missiles.
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