President Trump defended North Korea’s recent short-range missile tests in a string of tweets, saying that the launches didn’t violate the joint statement that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed during a summit in Singapore last year.
North Korea fired off a round of missiles on Thursday in what was the third launch in less than two weeks. In the tweets, Trump said that North Korea under 35-year-old Kim’s regime had “unlimited” potential and noted that the country has much to gain by not becoming too aggressive with its military posturing.
“Kim Jong Un and North Korea tested 3 short range missiles over the last number of days. These missiles tests are not a violation of our signed Singapore agreement, nor was there discussion of short range missiles when we shook hands. There may be a United Nations violation, but…” the president wrote. “Chairman Kim does not want to disappoint me with a violation of trust, there is far too much for North Korea to gain – the potential as a Country, under Kim Jong Un’s leadership, is unlimited. Also, there is far too much to lose.
“I may be wrong, but I believe that…” he added. “Chariman Kim has a great and beautiful vision for his country, and only the United States, with me as President, can make that vision come true. He will do the right thing because he is far too smart not to, and he does not want to disappoint his friend, President Trump!” The president tweeted about the North Korean dictator.”
Kim Jong Un and North Korea tested 3 short range missiles over the last number of days. These missiles tests are not a violation of our signed Singapore agreement, nor was there discussion of short range missiles when we shook hands. There may be a United Nations violation, but..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2019
….Chariman Kim has a great and beautiful vision for his country, and only the United States, with me as President, can make that vision come true. He will do the right thing because he is far too smart not to, and he does not want to disappoint his friend, President Trump!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2019
Trump and Kim met in Singapore in June 2018 where the duo both signed a joint statement agreeing “to work toward complete denuclearization” and “the building of a lasting and robust peace regime on the Korean peninsula.”
The two met again in Vietnam in February. The summit was cut short after the two sides failed to reach any substantive agreement on denuclearization. Since that time, there relationship between the two countries has been variably hot and cold. Trump made history in June when he crossed over the Korean demilitarized zone and shook hands with Kim.
