Trump Reconsiders Summit: World leaders hold out hope meeting can still happen

World
Europe

03:19

US President Donald Trump seems to be giving the world a case of whiplash. A day after abruptly pulling the plug on a high-stakes summit with the DPRK, he said the meeting with Kim Jong Un could go ahead after all.

The president claimed late on Friday the US is having "very productive talks" with Pyongyang. He said in a Twitter post it's even possible the summit could "remain in Singapore on the same date, June 12th and, if necessary, will be extended beyond that date". Earlier our correspondent Roee Ruttenberg briefed us on Trump's latest statement, as well as other world leaders' reactions towards the turnaround.

China says it is still holding out hope that Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un will sit down and talk, face-to-face.

WANG QISHAN CHINESE VICE PRESIDENT "Both the president of the United States and the DPRK leader have left room for maneuver for each other."

U.S. officials on Friday suggested a historic summit - scheduled for next month - might still happen, just 24 hours after President Trump announced he's out.

Wang Qishan, the Chinese vice-president, was speaking at an economic forum in Russia on Friday. Also on stage, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. After initially saying he supported Trump's decision, Abe said world leaders should do everything they can to help ensure the talks take place. But dialogue for the sake of dialogue, he said, is pointless.

SHINZO ABE JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER "France, China and of course the United States, people across the world, we would like them to work together to push the DPRK in the right direction. In order to do that, we must work together and tackle this problem the DPRK poses."

Abe also warned world players against making long-term partnerships with Pyongyang before it meets certain conditions.

The event's host was Vladimir Putin, who on Thursday defended Kim, saying the DPRK leader "did everything he promised in advance".