And welcome to ABC news live on Devin Dwyer joined by our contributor ABC's contributor colonel Steve guinier whose been the region you've been watching. The press conference president trump with Japanese prime minister himself op they on the on the eve here what will be a weeklong trip for president trump. First of the G-7 in candidate then to that historic summit. Down in Singapore with North Korea's leader a lot of news a lot of headlines and of that press conference Steve. Including the prediction that this will be a great success. The question is how should we be defining success. Success could be a safer world but how do we get there and end negotiations that are required between not only the US but South Korea China Japan as we're seeing. Peace be included and frankly the UN at the end. When the armistice was signed when these fighting stopped for the Korean War. That was a UN signature that went on that paper so the UN's got to get involved here lots of moving pieces but we're seeing the kind of move that we haven't seen. In 6070 years and the president calling this very much they get to know you meeting plots a part of a process a first step. Toward as what you pointed out Steve is obviously very complicated multiparty negotiation he did say today though I will solve it. Which is pretty fascinated let's bring in our White House correspondent Cecilia Avaya was in the Rose Garden for the press conference. Cecilia there was a little bit of expectations. Setting going on there and what was your take. I think perhaps the most telling remark came at the very end when the president said this will be quote a terrific success. Or a modify huge success so. He went from bad talking about potentially solving world peace and being slaughtered for that you have really downplaying expectations but that that's really no surprise here at me that's been the case going in weird. A few days ago from the president sort of seeming to downplay expectations and and really what he might be able to get out of North Korea this being sort of a a meet and greet plots as is what he initially college but. You know their worst kinds out of this hearing and he said that eventually if things go well here like did seed normalized relations with North Korea mean that that's that's a big one and then on the smaller and he. He gave a nod to what was inside that big envelope that we saw handed to him last week in the Oval Office he sent that letter from North Korea was warm and it was just to greeting. You know but but really think. He seems like he's looking forward to this trip but he certainly is downplay expectations right now. That's right and he even broke a little news there at the end talking about the potential of inviting. Kim Jung into the White House imagine that Steve I think you've mentioned he might have some problems with his plane had received concerns at home perhaps right our over here it's obvious the ceiling talking with women about preparation the president not only speaking in the Rose Garden before he flies off but he. I held held forth in the Oval Office earlier talked about how he's preparing what can you tell us about how that's going. Well it's sort of along the lines of this will be a terrific successor a modified success he either is prepared or he's not prepared going he said both of those things a few minutes before this. This Rose Garden press conference here in speaking to reporters in the Oval Office with prime minister on it right by his side he was asked how he's been preparing because. As we all know in covering this president 88 you know this is not someone who enjoys a big fat briefing book ahead of a trip like this but he says. He is well prepared but that really it's not about preparation going into this it's about attitude and really is. President of the national witness is the art of the deal president Amy this is the man who knows how to make it deal and I think he is going in very much with that attitude. That part of this is about talking about the possibility of inviting him to the US. In the days ahead of going to norte to two resting up or talking about print praising and thanking. The north Koreans for the way that they handled the the exchange of those three American hostages immediately on sick right now because he knows that he is doing an and I think we're seeing the art of the deal play out in real time. But by did he read briefing books ahead of time. He sort of admitted in the Oval Office but that's not not really his style here but but he says he's well prepared despite not having perhaps done a lot of our. And it is gonna drive the Chinese and the north Koreans not because they're used to very planned summit where everything concluded before you actually doubted that any doubt of the net it and here's a president whose confidence in his ability to make a deal to make that personal connection. And he says I'm improvise which means that all the planning that's going on Pyongyang. Can be thrown out the window and that got an unpredictable somebody sitting on the other side of the table which is. A good negotiating tactic but when you're talking about nuclear weapons and potential Armageddon is probably. Something than not would not come to most diplomats are. Unpredictability. He's talked about this is greatest asset something to him perhaps seems quite enamored with an in this at the table with this guy president from. I sincerely I don't know if you're still with us but we know that he's not doing this alone the two guys and them. Front lines of this negotiation were seated in the front runner in the Rose Garden. I national security advisor Tom Bolton and secretary of state Mike Pompeo we understand both are going with the president right. I'm sorry haven't really hard time here you can picture that last question for me yet they tell us about the role of Mike Pompeo secretary of state in the front lines in John Bolton. They were there in the rose garden and you've confirmed they are traveling with the president. I'm really sorry DeVon island catching the names that are audio reading issues your sound very over I modulated by it. All right no problems pursuing our senior White House responses to the Avaya a technical that from. Parents are proud uncle and got is that a critically everything I think about secretary pump has been nice guy. He's had you know dinner in New York with a Korean representative and he's the back slapper Pompeo is the dark night. He scares the north Koreans. He got out in front of himself on national TV John Bolton John Bolton sorry Bolton out of Libya model and Libya model which means we're gonna do a deal with you now that you're going to be hanging from a light post within two years so obviously north Koreans already worried about Bolton and scared of them said mom it's probably not the guy who want to have a fronts for the White House has pulled back. But the nice guy Pompeo out front. If they can get Rudy Giuliani also be quiet not talk about came on its hands in the. That would probably helpful going in these parents have got good cop bad cop going with the president to Singapore I wanna play Joseph Tolliver and that with you Stephen play. A little bit about what the president said earlier in the Oval Office setting expectations. For the summit he talked about. What he wants Kim Jong-un to do take a list. I think I'm very well prepared and prepared very much to. Attitudes about. Relief is to. Get this it's somebody for a long time. I was the other side didn't preparing for a long Hamels so this is a question of preparation into question whether. And we'll look very quickly from day. I'd love to see happen when Gil maybe cat have to do you know who did you know could this that will not be accepted. We cannot take sanctions of dissension. Extraordinarily powerful. We cannot and Angela Moore but I don't fight chosen not to do that at this time but that may happen. It's a steep one of the big questions are paying of this whole summit is what does denuclearization. Mean. To Kim Jung moon what is and how as the US defining what's your take right now where that definition is that so the president wants to get some sort of agreement that says we're gonna get rid of nukes on the peninsula and peace love and understanding and break out the details of how that is done Irvin half he worked out with the staffs once they come to a common understanding. This is a question that's been worked for decades now democratic republic presidents have failed when they've tried to eliminate nukes so does that mean. The US takes all its nukes out of the the area as well does it promise we won't use them does it mean that. Did the north Koreans will perhaps ship their nukes to China and let them hold them for them so they're all sorts of ways in north Koreans can. Can play this but the real question here is how upfront. Did you hear how honest to they appear in negotiation if they pull out some of the cards that they played against. President's going back as far as Clinton. Those cards have been seen before and I think very quickly some like John Bolton is gonna say no we're out here Katrina in theory human pres. It says he won't lift sanctions until they. Is it conceivable that the US could also. Yes very good question because that's why we see prime minister abbate today in the Rose Garden. Japan is very nervous. They are not at the table they're not being taken into consideration all they can say is please do something about our. Handful that have deputies they can't bring any diplomatic pressure to bear they don't have an economic pressure and they have no military pressure. So they have no way to get to the table they have to sit back and watch the US South Korea. China and North Korea negotiates something that could affect them because remember just across the Sea of Japan. Is North Korea. And their meat meat medium range missiles that can easily hit Japan of Japan securities at stake here and what gets decided. Could end up having US forces drawn off and off somewhere else off the south Korean Peninsula. Which means that eight day strategic. Hume geographic buffer that has always been there to protect Japan. From China and North Korea would no longer be there so this makes a Japanese very nervous and it could. Resulted huge ships in the US security consternation. The Japanese are nervous the South Koreans are nervous and Charlie doesn't I love their crisper Atticus. Five days from now to be fascinating but before we let's ago. What makes this time different Steve we've been here before it feels like history's repeating itself. We saw the north Koreans come to the white house on Friday they'd been there eighteen years ago heard a lot of the same promises. We've done deals with the north Koreans before to do nuclear rice is there anything you see in this moment that makes it different. The world changed when North Korea demonstrated not only a nuclear weapon but the ability to hit the United States with a nuclear weapons. Open to that point every Democrat and Republican president could kick the can down the road and said we'll deal with that later. Now president trump is being faced with a a nuclear threat. That he no other president ever had ever faced before and so that nuclear threat means that North Korea needs to be taken on the can't can no longer be kicked down the road. And something that need to be resolved and this president is determined to do that. Aren't high stakes I think makes his eyes and understand understatement at this whole thing but the summit. Coming up next Tuesday we'll have live coverage here at ABC news live and across the networks he will be playing his walls are whole. Up powerhouse political and foreign policy team we hope you join us can download the EBC news apt to follow the latest on this and all of our stories and of course join us here. Every day and ABC news live on Devin Dwyer curtains croak angered us with us we'll see you next time.