In an interview with Reuters on Monday, President Trump announced his expectation of a second face-to-face with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“I like him. He likes me,” he said. “There’s no ballistic missiles going up, there’s a lot of silence … I have very good personal relations with Chairman Kim, and I think that’s what holds it together.”
Reuters
Asked whether another meeting with Kim was on the horizon, Trump said: “It’s most likely we will, but I just don’t want to comment.”
Immediately after the initial summit, President Trump was exceedingly positive about the results. He claimed at the time that the nuclear threat from North Korea was over.
Just landed – a long trip, but everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2018
Since then, North Korea has been observed to be preparing to falsify their weapon stockpile reporting and upgrading their production sites. They have also detained a Japanese citizen ahead of talks between those countries. And on ABC’s This Week, John Bolton said on Sunday that North Korean interference in the 2018 election was a “sufficient national security concern… that we’re taking steps to try to prevent it.” (The other three countries named were China, Russia and Iran.)
All of this has happened after the summit, and in return the US has ended joint operations with South Korea in perpetuity, while North Korea promised to return scores of remains of some Korean war veterans, then balked, then returned a few dozen.
The lopsided nature of the two countries’ rewards seems to be of no concern. The President seems pleased with the results so far.
“I stopped (North Korea’s) nuclear testing. I stopped (North Korea’s) missile testing. Japan is thrilled. What’s going to happen? Who knows? We’re going to see,” he said.
Reuters
There are serious questions as to whether North Korea feels it must do further nuclear testing, now that it has achieved a working nuclear bomb. There are also question as to whether they felt the need for further missile testing after managing to successfully launch one that can target the US mainland.
There is also the question of when the next meeting is expected to take place. It is suspected they may do so during the United Nations General Assembly in September, or at a second summit in the future.
The other questions… whether it will be considered the official start of Season 2 of The President, or who is to design the commemorative coin… are likely to be addressed closer to the actual event.
What would Kim want from a second summit (other than laughs?) Kim got what he wanted from the first summit. (1) He was seen by the entire world as an equal to the President of the United States, an office that for decades was considered the most powerful position on Earth. (2) He received a great deal of positive press in many parts of the world, giving his image and North Korea’s image a boost if not a makeover. (3) An easing of sanctions, unofficially. Russia, China, and other countries, have been more willing to turn a blind eye to sanctions violations (or even outright government-to-government assistance) which helps NK’s economic situation. (4) Most of the pressure is now off. NK won’t need to test nukes or ICBMs again until they find themselves in another tight spot and once again under pressure economically, politically, or militarily.
Trump had an opportunity with NK and he blew it, just like Obama blew the opportunity he had with Iran. Neither one of them have the skills or leadership ability to deal successfully and realistically with global geopolitics. Two horrible presidents in a row, yet i don’t blame Obama or Trump so much as i blame the voters. (I can’t call them the electorate, because ‘electorate’ is defined as qualified voters which suggests an educated and wise populace. Evidence proves those qualities are in short supply). We, the nation, have clearly gone wrong somewhere.
A second summit would be even more ill-advised than the first. Kim would gain more legitimacy. He would likely pocket additional unilateral U.S. concessions. Actual concrete movement toward denuclearization would be unlikely.
Yeah, Trump claimed that meat delivered daily to Mar-a-Lago fro a local wholesaler was proof that it was lie that “Trump Steaks” had been a failure, so excuse me if I don’t tend to believe any of his “I am Great! And I an doing Great Things!” bluster.
NM
? Winning..