US makes show of force ahead of North Korea summit

The U.S. Navy deployed a guided missile destroyer to Japan in a show of military force before an impending summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Reuters reported. 

The USS Milius, which was recently fitted with state-of-the-art ballistic missile defenses, arrived on Tuesday and will join the U.S. 7th Fleet at its headquarters at the Yokosuka Naval Base just three weeks before the planned summit to discuss denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, according to the news service. 

{mosads}North Korean officials last week backed out of follow-up discussions with South Korea and threatened to back out of the summit over joint military drills between Seoul and Washington. 

North Korea has maintained that it will not go through with the talks if the U.S. demands that it unilaterally pledge to give up its nuclear weapons.

Trump is meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday, when the two will have the opportunity discuss the upcoming summit.