Gil disappointed with the US
Gil said that the talks did not meet the North’s expectations and added: “The US raised expectations and offered suggestions like flexible approach, new methods and creative solutions, but they have disappointed us greatly, and dampened our enthusiasm for negotiations by bringing nothing to the negotiation table,” he continued. “These talks were held at a crucial moment when the situation on the Korean Peninsula stands at the crossroads of dialogue or confrontation. Therefore, we have come to the negotiating table with a responsibility that we should ensure a result to promote the development of the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea],” he added.”
Morgan Ortagu a US State Department spokeswoman had a more favorable view of discussions and claimed that Gil’s remarks “do not reflect the content or the spirit of the good discussions. North Korea replied yesterday that the Trump administration was As we have clearly identified the way for solving problem, the fate of the future DPRK-U.S. dialogue depends on the U.S. attitude, and the end of this year is its deadline,” the North Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement.misleading the public by saying there good discussion and added: “We have no intention to hold such sickening negotiations as what happened this time before the US takes a substantial step.”
A recent article explains why North Korea had considerable positive expectations for the talks: “Chad O’Carroll, chief executive of the Korea Risk Group, said the North Korean negotiators might have gone to Stockholm with a “radical expectation” after Trump fired Bolton and floated a possibility of a “new method” in talks.”Ahead of what is likely to be a bumpy election campaign for Trump in 2020, it appears that the North may be hoping that the combined effect of the ticking clock and American fears of long-range missile and nuclear tests in the year ahead will stimulate a significant shift in U.S. strategy at the eleventh hour,” O’Carroll said in an analysis posted on the NK Pro website.”
North Korea sets year’s end as deadline for new talks
A Washington Post article reports: “As we have clearly identified the way for solving problem, the fate of the future DPRK-U.S. dialogue depends on the U.S. attitude, and the end of this year is its deadline,” the North Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement.”
The recent talks in Sweden were the first since the failed Hanoi summit in February. They were also the first since the hawk John Bolton was fired as national security adviser. However, there still seem to be many hawks in the Trump administration with no sign of any substantial change in the US position. Unless the US shows some significant movement towards reducing sanctions and accepting a gradual step by step process of denuclearizing the North is unlikely to participate in further talks.
