Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump to meet for nuclear talks

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump plan to meet in May for nuclear disarmament talks, a whiplash development that would put two leaders who've repeatedly insulted, threatened and dismissed each other in the same room, possibly in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.

South Korean leader declares that meeting will be a 'historical milestone'

U.S. President Donald Trump has accepted an offer of a summit from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. (Kevin Lamarque/KCNA/Reuters)




But there's also considerable skepticism.

'Great progress being made'




That remains to be seen.

In a dramatic turn of events, it appears North Korea and the U.S. are ready for peace — or at least meet to talk about the prospect of peace. U.S. President Donald Trump has accepted an invitation to talk from Kim Jong-un in an announcement that was made by a South Korean official in Washington 7:03

Opportunity for U.S. despite 'deceptive cloak'


South Korean and U.S. Marines take positions as amphibious assault vehicles of the South Korean Marine Corps fire smoke bombs during a U.S.-South Korea joint landing operation drill in Pohang, South Korea, in 2016. (Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)



U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in Djibouti on Friday that the decision to meet with Kim Jong-un was made by Trump himself and resulted from a sharp change in the North Korean leader's stance.



Weeks of softening ties




The announcement Friday followed weeks of softening ties between the Koreas, orchestrated by the South Korean leader, Moon, and culminating in a visit by Kim Jong-un's sister to the South to observe the Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Watch the full announcement from a South Korean security official.

Chung Eui-Yong, a South Korean national security adviser, said that North Korean leader Kim had requested the meeting. 2:16

'A tried-and-true North Korean tactic'


Trump took office vowing to stop North Korea from its pursuit of a working long-range nuclear-tipped missile. He's oscillated between threats and insults directed at Kim that have fuelled fears of war, and more conciliatory rhetoric.

Kim Jong-un, front right, shakes hands with South Korean national security director Chung Eui-yong in Pyongyang on Monday. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. (Korean Central News Agency/Associated Press)

The historic announcement comes during a period of unparalleled tumult in the West Wing, with the president's policy agenda stalled and morale sinking as staff departures proliferate and disrupt efforts to instil more discipline and order.

Earlier Thursday, Chung briefed Trump and other top U.S. officials about a rare meeting the South Korean had with Kim in the North Korean capital. During that meeting, the rival Koreas agreed to hold a leadership summit in late April, the first in a decade.

Economy battered by sanctions





Canada 'always believed' in diplomatic solution



A spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland's said in a statement that Canada has "always believed that a diplomatic solution to the North Korean nuclear crisis is essential and possible."

Canada and the U.S. recently co-hosted a summit in Vancouver to discuss efforts to find a peaceful path to deal with North Korea's nuclear and ballistic weapon programs.