Economics
Trump on Collision Course With Kim Over Steps to Lift Sanctions
- Pompeo, Bolton want North Korea to disarm before getting aide
- Summit risks failure without deal on steps to denuclearize
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President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appear to be on a collision course over what comes first: Disarmament or sanctions relief.
On Sunday, two of Trump’s top national security officials -- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton -- both said the U.S. needs proof that North Korea’s denuclearization is complete, verifiable, and irreversible before sanctions are lifted. By contrast, Kim has called for a step-by-step process to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons.