[International] Trump Says He Will Meet Kim Jong Un; Experts: Nuclear Issue Unlikely to See Progress
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U.S. President Donald Trump said he expects to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, adding that they get along well and that the U.S., Japan, and South Korea would be much safer with him as president. Experts analyze that if Trump and Kim meet again, it will be difficult to make substantial progress on the nuclear issue, speculating that Trump's main goal is to force South Korea to make more economic concessions.
On the 16th, Trump ordered a "significant reduction" in the scale of U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises and mentioned his "very good relationship" with Kim Jong Un. Foreign media reported that the South Korean military stated that the joint military exercises would end on the 21st, instead of the originally scheduled 27th.
During a media interview at the White House on the afternoon of the 19th, when asked if the purpose of meeting Kim Jong Un was still to promote North Korea's denuclearization, Trump declined to answer, only reiterating that his relationship with Kim Jong Un is very good, and that Kim Jong Un dislikes former U.S. Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, "but he likes me."
Trump says good relationship with Kim Jong Un means safer U.S., Japan, and South Korea with him as president
Trump also said that he gets along well with Kim Jong Un, "We've had meetings, we're talking." He added that the United States and other countries, whether Japan or South Korea, "would be much safer with me as president than with anyone else."
Earlier, Trump told the media that Kim Jong Un possesses 57 powerful nuclear weapons, which should never have happened. "I know Kim Jong Un very well... As long as we have a smart president, he'll be fine."
Regarding whether he expects to meet Kim Jong Un later this year, Trump responded, "Yes, I will."
In an afternoon interview, Trump also reiterated his dissatisfaction with the large-scale U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises. He said, "This is an exercise targeting North Korea" and again specifically criticized South Korea for not assisting the U.S. on the Strait of Hormuz issue.
Trump stated that the large-scale U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises are "offensive" to someone (referring to Kim Jong Un) who has been "well behaved" at least during his term.
Experts estimate a significantly increased probability of a Trump-Kim summit; substantial progress on the nuclear issue is difficult.
Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a Washington think tank, and an expert on Asian security issues, told CNA in an interview that in recent days, the probability of a "Trump-Kim summit" has significantly increased. Any substantial outcome of the talks might focus on announcing the "formal end of the Korean War," as it is difficult to achieve substantial progress on the nuclear issue.
He speculates that Trump's main goal is to extract more economic concessions from South Korea.
Trump willing to use alliance relationships as bargaining chips; Asian countries concerned
Cooper pointed out that his exchanges with officials in the Asian region show that they believe Trump's actions further prove his willingness to put alliance and partnership relationships at risk if it can be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations with adversaries. "Trump has done this before on issues concerning China and arms sales to Taiwan, and now he is doing the same regarding North Korea and the U.S.-South Korea military exercises."
He said, "U.S. allies and partners are very nervous, worried that this pattern will be repeated with other regional countries."
Cooper believes that Trump might embolden China and North Korea, creating divisions between Washington and its allies, which Beijing, Pyongyang, and Moscow will exploit for influence in the coming months and years.
The Wall Street Journal reported on the 18th that Trump had urged his staff to quickly arrange another meeting with Kim Jong Un in the fall. Trump had discussed the possibility of meeting Kim Jong Un during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen in November.
During his first term, Trump met Kim Jong Un three times in Singapore, Hanoi, Vietnam, and the Korean Peninsula's demilitarized zone, attracting global attention and media spotlight. The U.S. hopes Pyongyang will cease its nuclear weapons development, but the outcomes of the meetings were limited. (Editor: Liu Xianghua)
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=227249
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