This week, it's become known that President Putin and North Korea leader Kim Jong-un are planning a meeting together in the near future. The time and place haven't been set yet but the preparation for the summit has already begun. On Thursday in Pyongyang, Lavrov met with t Kim Jong-un, who sent Putin his warm greetings and called the Russians "wonderful friends." There's a crucial nuance: Lavrov's flight to Pyongyang took place a few days before the meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un, which is scheduled for the 12th of June in Singapore. From Pyongyang, Lavrov sent Trump an important warning: don't make any sudden movements, nor artificially rush things, for the denuclearization process is delicate.
Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister: "We think it's crucial to show an utmost delicate approach to the contacts to not make any sudden movements, to not artificially rush the process, it will require a significant amount of time as well as a detailed agreement of all the components of the package. We call all the parties involved to fully feel their responsibilities to prevent this crucial yet fragile process from derailing".
To clarify to the Americans even further, Lavrov thought it fit to repeat the mutual Russian-North Korean position.
Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister: "I want to emphasize once more, that our mutual understanding with the North Korean party of the necessity to treat with utmost care the process that's happening now from a perspective of forging and normalizing the relationships between the two Koreas and between the USA and the DPRK, and also the necessity to avoid the temptation to demand everything all at once".
How did Trump react to these signals? Painfully. Since he does sudden movements, rushes processes, doesn't treat anyone with care, and doesn't sense any fragility. Also, Lavrov warned Trump against the intention to solve North Korea issue in one go. So what did Trump do? Take a guess.
President Trump: "I didn't like it. I didn't like the meeting between Russia and Kim Jong-un. I said: "What's the purpose of this meeting?" But it can be a positive meeting. If it's a positive meeting, I love it, and it can be positive".
Could you decipher that? That's what Trump says on the eve of the meeting with the one whom he ironically called "Rocket Man" 6 months ago, Kim Jong-un. How interested is Trump in the meeting and negotiations with Kim Jong Un? Is he interested in what he can hear from the North Korean leader or is the only thing important is what Trump wants to tell him?
And again, feel free to draw your own conclusion. On Friday, Trump received the special envoy from North Korea at the White House, the vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim Jong-chol. The latter gave Trump a letter from Kim Jong Un. They had a talk. After that, Trump had a talk with the journalists. He said the letter was interesting, though he hadn't opened the letter yet.
President Trump: "It was a meeting where a letter was given to me by Kim Jong Un. The letter was very good. Oh, you'd like to know what was in the letter? How much would you like to know? It was an interesting letter. I haven't opened it on purpose. I haven't opened it yet".
