US President Donald Trump has threatened North Korean leader Kim Jong-un with "decimation," unless he agrees to denuclearise the Korean peninsula.
With the June 12 US-North Korea summit at stake, Trump on Thursday gave Kim two options -- reach an agreement to denuclearize and remain in power or suffer the fate of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was overthrown and murdered by rebels who were supported by a NATO bombing campaign in 2011, Efe news reported.
"If you look at that model with Gaddafi, that was a total decimation. We went in there to beat him. Now that model would take place if we don't make a deal, most likely," Trump told reporters prior to his meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House.
"But if we make a deal, I think Kim Jong-un is going to be very, very happy," the president added.
Trump, however, said that the United States is not using "the Libyan model" in its negotiations with North Korea, distancing himself from National Security Adviser John Bolton, who had explicitly mentioned "the Libya model of 2003-2004" as a basis for talks with Pyongyang.
In 2003, Muammar Gaddafi agreed to eliminate his country's weapons of mass destruction in exchange for US economic incentives, although the agreement purportedly did not give Gaddafi any security guarantees.
By "Libyan model," Trump seemed to be referring to the 2011 NATO bombing campaign against the Libyan government, which helped rebels overthrow Gaddafi, who was soon brutally murdered by these groups.
"The Libyan model isn't the model we have at all when we are thinking of North Korea. In Libya, we decimated that country ... There was no deal to keep Gaddafi," Trump said.
"This with Kim Jong-un would be something where he would be there. He would be running his country. His country would be very rich," the president added.
Trump said that if Kim Jong-un agreed to denuclearize, "he'll get protections that would be very strong," referring to guarantees for Kim to remain in power.
Trump also downplayed Pyongyang's threats to pull out of the US-North Korea summit planned for June 12 in Singapore, saying "North Korea's actually talking to us about times and everything else as though nothing happened."
"Our people are literally dealing with them right now," Trump added.
Land subsidence leaves 350 people homeless in J&K’s Ramban District
Over 350 people in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K’s) Ramban District abandoned their homes on Saturday after destruction of the houses due to land subsidence.
Houthi leader vows to continue maritime attacks, calls Indian Ocean 'new theatre of confrontation'
Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen's Houthi group, has vowed to continue its naval operations in the Red Sea, rejecting media reports suggesting a decrease in Houthi maritime attacks, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported.
Second phase of Lok Sabha polls sees enthusiastic voter turnout from Jammu to Kerala, Maharashtra to Tripura
The BJP, holding a significant number of seats in this phase, considers these elections crucial for maintaining and expanding its influence to secure a substantial majority in the Lok Sabha.
EC suspends 26 Tripura govt staff for taking part in political events, violation of poll code
The Election Commission (EC) has so far suspended 26 Tripura government employees, including security personnel, for participating in political events, election campaigns, and violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC),
Massive crowd greets PM Modi in Bareilly roadshow
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a massive roadshow in Bareilly to garner support for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Chhatrapal Gangwar.
Police revolver among large cache of arms seized from Sandeshkhali, claims CBI
A Colt official police revolver was among a large cache of firearms seized by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from a house at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Paragans, the CBI claimed in a statement issued on Friday evening.
Braving the scorching heat, Tripura East records over 80 pc turnout
Despite the scorching heat, over 80 per cent of the 14 lakh voters cast their votes in the Tripura East Lok Sabha constituency where polling was held under a heavy security cover on Friday.
DMs, SPs of violence-hit MP districts transferred
The farmers agitation entered its eighth day on Thursday. The peasants have been on strike since June 1, demanding loan waiver and fair price for their produce.