US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have started their historic talks with a one-on-one meeting, accompanied only by their translators. Ahead of the summit in Singapore, Trump reportedly emphasized that this very moment would be crucial for striking a deal with Kim on denuclearization and establishing a firm peace on the Korean peninsula.
U.S. and North Korean leaders' motorcades are heading to Singapore's Capella Hotel for the #TrumpKim summit https://t.co/01E1748bFQ pic.twitter.com/pfoX9YwRJ8
— Bloomberg (@business) 12 июня 2018 г.
The Trump-Kim summit was made possible after a significant thaw in tensions on the Korean peninsula earlier this year.
US former professional basketball player Dennis Rodman, who has formed a close relationship with Kim since his visit to North Korea in 2013, was spotted at the international airport by Fox News late Monday local time.
Just arrived to Singapore for the Historical Summit! Looking forward to @POTUS having incredible success that the whole world will benefit by. Thank you @potcoin for supporting my mission! #Peace #Love #HistoricalSummit #Singapore #PresidentTrump #MarshallKimJongUn pic.twitter.com/XNDsyBjLv8
— Dennis Rodman (@dennisrodman) 11 июня 2018 г.
The Ex-NBA star player said in a Twitter post that he would give whatever support is needed to his friends Trump and Kim. He expressed hope that the summit will be a historic success.
I’m at the Capella Hotel where North Korean leader #KimJongUn will meet US President @realDonaldTrump in less than an hour; more updates to come #TrumpKimSummit pic.twitter.com/GgyQhZe08t
— Jeremy Koh (@JeremyKohCNA) 12 июня 2018 г.
As the meeting was being discussed in earnest in late May, Trump suddenly decided to cancel the summit, citing harsh comments from North Korean officials.
READ MORE: Facts About the Kim-Trump Summit
However, Kim continued to pursue his first opportunity to meet the US president by reiterating his commitment to denuclearization through a surprising second meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman arrives in Singapore ahead of summit between Pres. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un: "I'm just happy to be a part of it. I think that I deserve it." https://t.co/qaY9FMMnE0 pic.twitter.com/Ya3PiRXnmH
— ABC News (@ABC) 11 июня 2018 г.
Shortly ahead of the summit some performers decided to "accelerate" the possible positive outcome of the Trump-Kim summit and were spotted by local reporters walking around in the streets of Singapore, disguised as the US and North Korean leaders.
Taste of things to come? 'Trump' and 'Kim Jong-un' thrown out of Singapore restaurant pic.twitter.com/Ocl8vcOYD9
— Ruptly (@Ruptly) 12 июня 2018 г.
READ MORE: 'Mr. Kim!' DPRK Leader Loudly Celebrated on Night Out in Singapore
Before historic negotiations aiming to bring complete denuclearization and firm peace to the Korean Peninsula, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have shaken hands with each other for the first time.
#BREAKING: U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un meet for first time, shake hands before heading into private meeting with translators. #TrumpKimSummit #TrumpKim #USDPRK #SingaporeSummit #USNorthKorea pic.twitter.com/d7CCyhwfXm
— Sean Previl (@SeanPrevil) 12 июня 2018 г.
Local residents in Singapore got emotional as they were watching the historic handshake between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.
A warm round of applause from South Koreans in Singapore as Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un shake hands for the first time #TrumpKimSummit pic.twitter.com/FfjlHfuHpV
— TrueNewsPlus (@TrueNewsPlus) 12 июня 2018 г.
The international media center in Singapore at the moment of the first encounter. pic.twitter.com/ZvakeU5xk9
— Tim Shorrock (@TimothyS) 12 июня 2018 г.
Meanwhile, "Kim Jong-un's friend" and former basketball player Dennis Rodman bursts in tears in CNN interview on historic Singapore summit, saying that he is "so happy, and it is a great day".
"Today is a great day," former NBA star Dennis Rodman says in an emotional interview in which he describes his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un https://t.co/atvQwe7jo0 pic.twitter.com/dEgQf3kBtE
— CNN (@CNN) 12 июня 2018 г.
Donald Trump said on Tuesday in his first comments alongside Kim Jong-un that their summit will bring a "tremendous success." Meanwhile, The Economist has compared the historic meeting between the two leaders with the USSR-US summit in Reykjavik.
As Mr Trump and Mr Kim sit down for talks in Singapore, we examine the successes and failures from 80 years of groundbreaking get-togethers https://t.co/GrkteIfeGa pic.twitter.com/48YLLNokIR
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) 12 июня 2018 г.
According to the UK-based media outlet, Ronald Reagan also took a strong line against the Soviet Union during his term. However, in 1985 he met his Soviet counterpart, Mikhail Gorbachev, for the first time and a year later they met in the capital city of Iceland to discuss global arms control.
#Nebenzia: #UNSCRs were not only about sanctions against #NorthKorea, they were about a #political solution. And now we also see that the roadmap that #Russia and #China were proposing is in fact working. pic.twitter.com/16nxl1ll1V
— Russian Mission UN (@RussiaUN) 12 июня 2018 г.
