The White House set a time for Trump’s first meeting with Kim: 9 a.m. Singapore time on June 12, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. But she said there has been no change in what Trump has described as a “maximum pressure” campaign on the North Korean regime.
“We are actively preparing for the 12 June summit between the president and the North Korean leader,” Sanders said on Monday. “We feel like things are continuing to move forward, and good progress has been made.”
Sanders said that the White House “advance team” of military, security, technical and medical staff – were already on the ground in Singapore.
Trump, who had earlier cancelled the summit meeting, abruptly announced that it was back on.
He also said last week he’d avoid using the phrase “maximum pressure” because of improving relations between the two countries. “I don’t want to use that term because we’re getting along,” he said on Friday.
“Our policy hasn’t changed, and as the president stated, we have sanctions on, they’re very powerful and we would not take those sanctions off unless North Korea denuclearized,” Sanders said on Monday.
“The president has been receiving daily briefings on North Korea from his national security team,” he added.
> Shiuly Rina
