Kim Jong Un sets easing of sanctions as condition for summit with Trump

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may agree to negotiations with US President Donald Trump, but he has formulated a number of strict demands for this. Among the main demands is the potential easing of Western sanctions against North Korea.

Lowered expectations for the summit

According to sources familiar with the situation, official representatives of the United States and South Korea believe that the likelihood of a meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un this year has significantly decreased. The North Korean side is not showing significant interest in diplomatic initiatives aimed at curbing its nuclear programme.

Donald Trump remains the only US president to have personally met with the North Korean leader. Such contacts took place in 2018 and 2019 with the aim of improving diplomatic relations between the two states. However, none of these meetings, held during Trump's first term in office, led to significant breakthroughs in resolving the nuclear issue.

Pyongyang's strict conditions

According to Reuters, Kim Jong Un understands that during a future summit, the US president will speak about curbing North Korea's nuclear programme. That is why the North Korean leader is not showing enthusiasm for holding bilateral negotiations unless an agreement is reached on easing sanctions pressure.

Previously, media reported that to organise a meeting with Kim Jong Un, Trump even turned to China, which maintains close ties with the North Korean leader. However, even Xi Jinping, acting as a mediator, was unable to guarantee Trump that Kim Jong Un would agree to hold a meeting in November this year.