President Donald Trump abruptly cut his summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un short and left Hanoi early after denuclearization negotiations fell apart.
"Sometimes you have to walk," Trump said at a press conference after his meeting with Kim. "This was just one of those times."
The press conference was hastily moved up after another event and signing ceremony between the two leaders was scrapped.
Trump told reporters that North Korea was only willing to comply with some of the United States’ demands to dismantle their nuclear program but wanted all sanctions against the country lifted.
“It was about the sanctions,” Trump said. “Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, but we couldn’t do that.”
"He has a certain vision and it's not exactly our vision, but it's a lot closer than it was a year ago and I think eventually we'll get there," Trump added.
"Trump said Kim had offered to begin dismantling the Yongbyon nuclear facility, a step that would have amounted to a major concession," CNN reported. "But it wasn't enough, Trump said, alluding to additional sites that comprise what is a deeply secretive nuclear program."
"We asked him to do more and he was unprepared to do that," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at the news conference. "Everyone had hoped we could do just a little bit better."
Kim told US reporter he’s willing to denuclearize:
The Trump administration’s decision to walk away came after Kim told an American journalist, believed to be the first western reporter to ask Kim a question, that he was willing to put denuclearization on the table.
"If I'm not willing to do that I won't be here right now," he said through an interpreter.
"It's too early to say," he added. "From what I feel right now, I do have a feeling that good results will come out."
Experts worry about next steps:
Jean Lee, a Korea expert at the Wilson Center, told The New York Times she’s “worried about the consequences” of the failed negotiations.
“Did these two leaders and their teams build up enough good will to keep the lines of communication open, or are we headed into another period of stalled negotiations — or worse, tensions — that would give the North Koreans more time and incentive to keep building their weapons program?”
“This result leaves very little room for Kim to save face,” she added.
