North Korea’s belligerent threat to call off landmark talks with the US – currently slated for 12 June in Singapore – is a remarkable turnaround.
Just last month, the world watched on as North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un planted peace trees and held hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
At the time, Mr Kim pledged a “new history” in relations with his neighbour and said it was the “starting point” for peace between the two Koreas.
Mr Kim has also said, ahead of the upcoming Singapore meeting, that North Korea would halt nuclear and missile tests immediately. (The US wants Pyongyang to give up its weapons programme completely and irreversibly.)
Now though, that may not happen.
But frankly, given the unpredictable nature of the North and its leader, this latest development can hardly be labelled a surprise.
As I’ve written before, the Singapore meeting is very much a business one for Washington and Pyongyang – and so the North is now simply laying out the terms of the deal it wants, well ahead of any meeting taking place.
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