Historic Meeting: Purpose, Goal, and
Outcome Shaky
(High
Stakes Table)
Washington (CNN) (includes
short video) – The list of potential sites for a summit between President
Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has been narrowed to two
countries as negotiations speed ahead for the Trump-Kim face-to-face.
Trump hailed talks
Friday between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in as “a very positive thing and said
it would be a great thing for the world if tensions can be eased.”
U.S. officials favor Singapore and they have ruled out China
and the Korean Peninsula as not appearing neutral. Locations in Europe appear
less likely citing difficulties to get Kim there on his rickety fleet of
aircraft. Mongolia also remains an option, but is viewed less than ideal
because it is more remote, thus it remains unclear about the precise site location
announcement.
Trump said during a
news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel: “I think some very good things can
happen with respect to North Korea. We're setting up meetings now. We're down
to two countries, as to a site, and we'll let you know what that site is. The United
States has been played beautifully, like a fiddle, because you had a different
kind of a leader. We're not going to be played, OK? We're
going to hopefully make a deal. If we don't, that's fine. The United States in the
past was played like a fiddle.”
Then Trump talking with
reporters in the Oval office shifted gears from “we” to just his own fluffing: “We will, I think, come up with a
solution. And if we don't, we leave the room with great respect.”
Then later,
during the news conference, Trump said brokering peace on the Korean Peninsula
could be a gift to the entire planet and as always due to only him and not “We”
bragging: “It's something I hope I can do for
the world. This is something I can do for the world. It's something I hope I'm able to
do for the world.”
Trump still warns that he would not played by Kim, who has grown increasingly willing to engage in diplomacy. He again raised the prospect of standing up and walking out of the meeting if it falls short of his expectations. Then in typical Trump fashion he again offered strong words for past presidents, who he declared had been hoodwinked by the North Koreans.
That's the line Trump sticks to but how that is achieved remains unclear. South Korea favors a step-by-step approach to lifting sanctions incrementally while Trump says sanctions will continue until North Korea takes positive steps to end its nuclear program.
My 2 Cents: I have advocated a “one-Korea” solution for over 50 years and that is based on close to 20 years of service in Korea (active duty and then as DOD civilian).
Kim, Jung-un is painted into a serious economic corner with few plausible options on one hand but a golden opportunity to the he real hero of a united Korea that millions of Koreans want.
One big problem Kim faces is how to make a deal for eliminating his nuke program while staying in power – since his family has held one-man power since grandfather Kim, Il-sung days in 1948 (North Korea established), that is once the general population of the North Korea finally sees the amazing prosperity and life in South Korea and realize they have been duped for decades – a huge obstacle for him if reunification ever takes place.
As far as Trump’s role: still “Art of the Deal” or “Con” depending on your view in play as always … things that will benefit Trump personally and financially.
Time will tell, but this is a great and historic moment – the outcome – well, not so certain. Stay tuned.
Thanks for stopping by.
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