Trump declares "war games" are "inappropriate" after North Korea summit

Trump declares "war games" are "inappropriate" after North Korea summit

President Trump is declaring success after a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that resulted in an understanding that Pyongyang would work toward denuclearization and the U.S. would end joint military exercises with South Korea. Mr. Trump and Kim signed a document agreeing to a handful of key provisions.

But the future remains unclear -- the U.S. and North Korea did not reach any agreement on the details of how to achieve or verify that denuclearization, Mr. Trump said. "We'll be verifying," the president remarked in a rare, extended news conference after the summit. Mr. Trump also claimed Kim told him North Korea has destroyed a "major" missile testing site, although he didn't expand on that.

Mr. Trump said the U.S. will be continuing sanctions until denuclearization occurs -- but suggested sanctions might be lifted earlier than many experts thought possible.

Earlier in the day, the president claimed the summit went "better than anybody could have expected." The president also claimed Kim has a great personality, and said he will "absolutely" invite Kim to the White House.

For a detailed account of the summit, visit CBS News' earlier live blog.

Follow along below for updates:
U.S. defense community responds to end of "war games"
Members of the Defense community appear to be caught off guard following Mr. Trump's decree that the U.S. would be halting its joint exercises in South Korea.

Christopher Sherwood, spokesperson for the Department of Defense said in a statement to CBS News on Tuesday, "The Department of Defense continues to work with the White House, the interagency, and our allies and partners on the way forward following the U.S./DPRK summit."

Meanwhile, the United States Forces Korea who conducts the exercises, said in a statement that they have received "no updated guidance on execution or cessation of training exercises."

"Incoordination with our ROK partners, we will continue with our current military posture until we receive updated guidance from the Department ofDefense (DoD) and/or Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM)," the statement added.

Japan's Abe says he "highly respects" efforts in Singapore
Per a Japanese government official, Trump and Prime Minister Abe will speak tonight. And Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters at the conclusion of the summit that he expresses his "heartfelt respect for the leadership and efforts of President Trump leading up to his meeting with Chairman Kim Jong Un."

Abe added,"I support the summit meeting today that has reconfirmed Chairman Kim Jong Un's commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a written document as a step toward the comprehensive resolutions of outstanding issues of concern."

The prime minister said that he "highly appreciated" Mr. Trump efforts in raising the issue of Japanese abductions "which is important for Japan," he noted.

"With regard to the abductions issue, Japan is determined to directly face North Korea to resolve this issue," Abe added.

The two leaders are expected to talk over the phone later tonight.

Trump departs Singapore
After a lengthy news conference Mr. Trump departs Singapore for Guam. "There was nothing more we could have done. We had the agreement done. The only thing he could have done is gone to the news conference," Mr. Trump told reporters as to why he chose to leave in the night instead of the next day.

The president told reporters on board Air Force One looking to speak further with him "lets see how we feel, it's 26 hours now, you become vulnerable at 26."

Asked why the first lady did not join him for the trip, Mr. Trump said that Melania Trump was given orders to not fly within 30 days of her surgery for her kidney condition. "30 days she's not supposed to fly," he said, remarking that she did however attend a function at Fords Theatre back in D.C.

He told reporters that the first lady is "doing great."

Trump credits rhetoric for Kim summit
In an interview set to air Tuesday night, Mr. Trump tells Fox News' Sean Hannity that without his strong rhetoric toward North Korea and its leader "we wouldn't have been here."

"You know, we did sanctions and all the things you would do but I think without the rhetoric, you know, other administrations, I don't want to get specific on that, but you know they had a policy of silence. If they said something very bad and very threatening and horrible just don't answer. That's not the answer. That's not what you have to do. So I think the rhetoric, I hated to do it, sometimes I felt foolish doing it, but we had no choice," he said in excerpts of the interview.

Mr. Trump told Hannity that the two leaders got along "very well" in their private meeting with translators.

"We got along better than I would have assumed right from the beginning. We got a lot more done today than I ever thought possible."

A closer look at Trump's "war games" comments
Mr. Trump claimed that he made no concessions to Kim, but is ending the "war games" consisting of joint military exercises with South Korea. On top of that, CBS News correspondent Ed O'Keefe points out, Mr. Trump has invited Kim to the White House.

"I don't quite understand why Trump felt the need to stop the war games," a senior fellow at the Asia Society's Center on U.S.-China Relations. "They are something that shows U.S. resolve in the region, not only to North Korea but also more importantly to China. And it seems like there's this whole idea of Trump as this great negotiator and yet he gave up one of the most important cards we have in the region, seemingly for free. So I think I am baffled by that and I am baffled by a lot of things that came out of Trump's mouth."

Mr. Trump also suggested his desire to remove troops from South Korea eventually, although that wasn't a part of the agreement Mr. Trump and Kim signed.

O'Keefe said there may be "measured support" from some Republicans in Congress for what Mr. Trump did in Singapore, but skepticism as well.

"Some of his biggest defenders on Capitol Hill are also some of this regime's biggest critics," O'Keefe said.

Trump to depart soon en route to U.S.
After a press conference that lasted more than an hour, Mr. Trump is about to leave Singapore for the U.S.

Here is what Trump and Kim agreed to

Mr. Trump and Kim agreed to a basic framework, in an unexpected meeting between the two leaders.

Here are the four components of the agreement outlined in the document:

"The United States and the DPRK commit to establish new U.S.-DPRK relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity."
"The United States and the DPRK will join their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean peninsula."
"Reaffirming the April 27, 2018 Panmunjom Declaration, the DPRK commits to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."
"The United States and the DPRK commit to recovering POW/MIA remains, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified."
"I do trust him," Trump says of Kim
Mr. Trump, in an interview he gave to ABC's George Stephanopoulos shortly after meeting with Kim, said he trusts the North Korean dictator.

"I do trust him," Mr. Trump said.

"He's de-nuking the whole place and I think he's going to start very quickly," the president added.

Highlights from the Trump-Kim meeting
After two lengthy meetings (one in private and one with their respective delegations) and a hearty lunch discussion over short ribs, pork and Häagen-Dazs ice cream, Mr. Trump and Kim ended their summit with a signed document that the president described as "important" and "comprehensive."

The document, which offers few details about how the aims will be accomplished, says North Korea commits to working towards denuclearization

Mr. Trump said he "absolutely" will invite Kim to the White House. Mr. Trump said he thinks the summit went "better than anybody could have expected."

Upon closing the summit, the president called the meeting a "tremendous" 24 hours.
quoted from CBS news