US, North Korea break off nuclear talks: report

U.S. and North Korean negotiators broke off high-level nuclear talks after months of negotiations between the two countries.

Reuters reported Saturday that North Korea’s top official present for negotiations with the U.S. told reporters that the U.S. had brought nothing to the table for the latest round of talks.

{mosads}“The negotiations have not fulfilled our expectation and finally broke off,” Kim Myong Gil said.

“The U.S. raised expectations by offering suggestions like a flexible approach, new method and creative solutions, but they have disappointed us greatly and dampened our enthusiasm for negotiation by bringing nothing to the negotiation table,” he added, according to Reuters.

In a statement Saturday afternoon, the State Department said Kim’s comments “do not reflect the content or the spirit of today’s 8 1/2 hour discussion,” and added that the U.S. had accepted an invitation from Swedish officials to return in two weeks for more negotiations. 

It was unclear whether North Korean officials have formally declined the invitation.

“At the conclusion of our discussions, the United States proposed to accept the invitation of our Swedish hosts to return to Stockholm to meet again in two weeks time,in order to continue discussions on all of the topics. The United States delegation has accepted this invitation,” the State Department said.

“The United States and the DPRK will not overcome a legacy of 70 years of war and hostility on the Korean Peninsula through the course of a single Saturday. These are weighty issues, and they require a strong commitment by both countries. The United States has that commitment,” a spokesperson added.

The halt in negotiations came a month after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un invited President Trump to Pyongyang, the first time such an invitation was extended to a U.S. president.

In early August, Trump told reporters that he thought another meeting with Kim was possible, but U.S. officials have not yet announced plans for a third summit between the two leaders.