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Russian senator comments on Trump's decision to cancel summit with North Korea

On May 24, President Donald Trump decided to cancel US-North Korean summit scheduled for June 12

MOSCOW, May 24. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel the Singapore summit with North Korea is a serious blow to the process of peaceful settlement in the region and the global stability in general, Russian Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachev said on Thursday.

"Trump’s refusal to hold a US-North Korean summit is undoubtedly a serious blow to the process of peaceful settlement in the region, as well as the second blow to the global stability following the US exit from the Iran nuclear deal," the senator wrote on Facebook.

According to the senator, reasons given by the US president for justifying his move are "totally ridiculous." "He says he felt ‘tremendous anger and open hostility’ in Kim Jong-un’s recent statements. In fact, if a country’s foreign policy is based on personal feelings and grudges, it exposes incompetence," Kosachev noted.

Unjustified decision

The Russian senator went on to say that Trump’s cancellation of the summit seemed unjustified following Pyongyang’s dismantling of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site.

"The public dismantling of the nuclear test site, which was witnessed by journalists, is definitely one of such steps [capable of facilitating the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula], moreover, it was a unilateral step for the US that has not abandoned the idea of holding military drills in the region. The ball was in Washington’s court, as everyone can see Pyongyang’s goodwill in this situation," Kosachev wrote on Facebook.

"Under the current circumstances, Trump’s decision seems even more unjustified. It seems that he expected Pyongyang to show a liking for him personally rather than take any practical steps. However, one must deserve the good graces of others, while acting on a whim is not the best way to achieve this goal," the Russian senator added.

In his view, Trump "must have felt that he was losing the diplomatic game surrounding the summit" for it only made sense for Washington to hold the meeting "to prove the effectiveness of the policy of pressure and blackmail." "But in fact, things turned out the other way around as by dismantling of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site Pyongyang actually took Washington at its word. US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo earlier demanded that North Korea take ‘credible steps’ towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Kosachev noted.

Dismantling nuclear test site, cancelling summit

Trump earlier informed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un about his decision to withdraw from the summit that was planned to be held in Singapore on June 12. Trump added that North Korea "has lost a great opportunity for lasting peace." At the same time, he pointed out that he was ready to hold talks in the future.

According to North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, which hosted six nuclear tests in 2006-2017, was completely dismantled on Thursday.