Klintsevich fears U.S.-N. Korea summit may be called off after 'Kim's begging' remark by Trump's lawyer
MOSCOW. June 7 (Interfax) - The remark by United States President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's "begging" for the summit could lead to the event's cancellation, Federation Council member Franz Klintsevich said.
"It is quite possible to thwart the summit by making statements of the kind, especially as the North Korean leader's mentality is no secret to anyone," Klintsevich's press service cited him as saying.
"I won't try to guess whether the U.S. president's lawyer is acting on his own, as they say, or if this is how the United States is again pushing security issues to the background and demonstrating a lack of interest in the summit. Anyway, the comment is rather strange and disagrees with normal diplomatic practice," Klintsevich said.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Guiliani said that Kim was "begging" that the summit not be canceled.
Trump called off the summit in May, accusing North Korea of "tremendous anger and open hostility." According to Guiliani, "Trump's tough stance had forced Pyongyang's hand," and Pyongyang sent "a conciliatory response."
"Well, Kim Jong-un got back on his hands and knees and begged for it, which is exactly the position you want to put him in," he said at an investment conference in Israel.
"Plans for the 12 June bilateral in Singapore were revived after that," Guiliani said.
The summit is due to take place in Singapore on June 12.