PROGRESS?

Report: U.S. Confirms North Korea Wants to Talk Denuclearization

The news is widely seen as a sign the proposed Trump-Kim meeting will actually take place.

The U.S. has confirmed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is willing to discuss dismantling his nuclear program at a proposed meeting with President Trump, Bloomberg reports. An administration official cited by Bloomberg gave few details on the matter but said U.S. authorities had confirmed for themselves what South Korean officials had initially conveyed to the White House last month: Pyongyang is prepared to meet one of Washington’s main demands at the planned summit. The news is widely seen as a sign behind-the-scenes deliberations are ongoing in preparation for the historic meeting, which is reportedly expected to take place in May or June. The issue of Kim’s willingness to discuss getting rid of its nuclear weapons was a lingering question since Trump last month accepted an offer to meet with Kim after several tense months of nuclear threats and missile tests.