Donald Trump meets Kim Jong Un: how long will the good times last?
US president and North Korean leader shake hands for the first time - but will they get on?
It is a meeting that many thought would never happen. This morning Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un met face to face for the first time at the start of a landmark summit that has the potential to reshape the global order and usher in lasting peace on the Korean peninsula.
In a short address to the press, the US president anticipated a “terrific relationship” with Kim.
“I feel really great. We're going to have a great discussion and will be tremendously successful,” the US president said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Kim responded: “It was not easy to get here... There were obstacles but we overcame them to be here.”
What will the talks achieve?
CNN says the two leaders are “the unlikeliest of statesmen, but fate has thrown the US president and the North Korean tyrant an opportunity granted to few historic figures - together they can change the world”.
In a move befitting the personal style of both men, the two leaders first met alone for two hours, accompanied only by interpreters, before being joined by their aides. Much will depend on how they get on.
Will they get on?
Trump’s style of diplomacy is based primarily on instinct and this extends to his relationships with other world leaders.
The Times says the unusual format “will suit Mr Trump, who has spoken of his hope of using the meeting to establish good personal relations with Mr Kim”. However, the paper says “it will add to concerns that the US president, who has talked of trusting his instincts over preparation, will strike a spontaneous agreement without consulting his advisers”.
The BBC says “both leaders are notoriously unpredictable, volatile, nationalistic and prone to angry outbursts”, having traded numerous insults over the past year or so and in the run-up to today’s summit.
Some have claimed the US president’s erratic hardball tactics are perfectly suited to deal with the North Korean leader and call his bluff.
But in contrast to his dealings with his so-called allies, Trump has also shown a surprising flexibility and willingness to compromise with Kim ahead of the talks.
He has recently toned down his insistence on complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement (CVID) of North Korea’s nuclear programme. He has indicated he might accept a phasing out of the programme, in exchange for a review of sanctions.
But if the rewards of a successful summit make a meeting of two of the world’s most volatile leaders a risk worth taking, then the potential downsides offer a stark warning.
David Sanger and Choe Sang-Hun in The New York Times say that: “For all his boasts about his deal-making prowess, Trump has never been in a face-off with an adversary like this one, a ruthless dictator who has imprisoned huge numbers of his citizens in brutal gulags and summarily executed or assassinated challengers”.
“He has also never been in a negotiation with the risks of failure so stark” they add.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Voters know Biden and Trump all too well'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Who will win the 2024 presidential election?
In Depth Election year is here. Who are pollsters and experts predicting to win the White House?
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
National Enquirer helped Trump in 2016, ex-boss says
Speed Read David Pecker says the tabloid published fabricated content to hurt Trump's rivals
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sitting in judgment on Trump
Opinion Who'd want to be on this jury?
By Susan Caskie Published
-
How could the Supreme Court's Fischer v. US case impact the other Jan 6. trials including Trump's?
Today's Big Question A former Pennsylvania cop might hold the key to a major upheaval in how the courts treat the Capitol riot — and its alleged instigator
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'A direct, protracted war with Israel is not something Iran is equipped to fight'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
'Good riddance to the televised presidential debate'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picks
Speed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published