Trump-Kim summit: US president blames failure of talks on North Korea's demand for sanctions to be dropped
Follow the latest updates on the historic meeting
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have cut short their talks in Hanoi, Vietnam and skipped a scheduled lunch event.
The White House confirmed the summit had ended with “no agreement reached” as the leaders headed back to their respective hotels.
The US president talks broke down over North Korea’s demands on US-led sanctions.
“Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, but we couldn’t do that,” he told reporters. “Sometimes you have to walk.”
Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, said negotiations would continue at a future date.
Several Democrats came out acknowledging Mr Trump’s decision to walk away without a deal was the right move in this situation. Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff said walking away with no deal was better than agreeing to a bad deal, before adding that it was “the result of a poorly planned strategy.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer echoed similar statements, citing his concerns about the likelihood of a bad deal forming out of the summit.
“A deal that fell short of complete denuclearization would have only made North Korea stronger & the world less safe,” Mr Schumer said.
After the summit, Mr Trump also defended Mr Kim over the tragic death of American college student Otto Warmbier, who was jailed in North Korea in December 2015 for attempting to steal propaganda material during an organised tour.The president said he does not believe the autocratic leader was aware of Mr Warmbier’s condition in the North Korean hard labour prison camp.
"He tells me he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word,” Mr Trump said.
After two years of imprisonment, North Korean authorities returned Mr Warbier to the US in a coma in July 2017. A few days later, the 22-year-old died in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman criticised the American president’s defense of Mr Kim.
“I’m very concerned that the President didn’t seem to be all that concerned about the murder of Otto Warmbier from Cincinnati,” Mr Brown told reporters on Thursday. “I don’t know how he says he likes the dictator of NK so much.”
Mr Portman insists that Mr Trump and the American people must remember Mr Warmbier and that “we should never let North Korea off the hook for what they did to him."
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More than a dozen prominent Vietnamese political activists say police have stepped up surveillance and prevented them from leaving their homes in Hanoi as the Vietnamese capital hosts a summit between the leaders of the United States and North Korea.
Despite sweeping economic and social reforms in the Vietnam, the ruling Communist Party retains tight controls on media and does not tolerate criticism.
Nguyen Chi Tuyen, an activist known as Anh Chi, said security officials had been stationed outside his house for two days.
“They follow me everywhere I go and warn me that I may be detained if I cross the river into the (city) centre,” he told Reuters on Wednesday.
Police told him they will guard his house until 1 March and not to take photos of them, he added.
In Hanoi, large crowds have gathered outside the Metropole hotel, where Donald Trump is now due to meet Kim Jong-un
Donald Trump, the secretary of state Mike Pompeo and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney are all now on their way to the Metropole hotel in Hanoi to meet Kim Jong-un.
The Trump motorcade drives past the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum in Hanoi on the way to the summit with North Korea's Kim Jong-un
AP
The two leaders are now both at the summit location - the Metropole hotel in Hanoi
The two leaders have now just met and shaken hands in front of the cameras
"Have you walked back on denuclearisation?" Mr Trump is asked as the pair pose for pictures.
"No," the US president replies.
Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un shook hands and briefly appeared in front of photographers before heading off to their dinner meeting.
Screengrab
Mr Trump has said to Mr Kim: “It’s an honour to be together. Vietnam have really rolled out the red carpet, and they’re really honoured to have us.
“The first summit was very successful... and I think this one will be equal or greater than the first.”
“I think that your country has tremendous economic potential - unlimited… I look forward to helping it to happen, and it will happen,” Mr Trump added.
Mr Kim also spoke of his hopes for a successful summit.
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