Talks between President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un collapsed Thursday after the two sides failed to bridge a standoff over U.S. sanctions on the reclusive nation, a dispiriting end to high-stakes meetings meant to disarm a global threat.Doing it right is probably impossible, because doing it right would likely mean the end of Kim's regime, at least down the line. If North Korea opens up, the 70 years of privation becomes obvious to those who have suffered it. Kim knows this. Those Samsung phones and Hyundais their cousins drive south of the DMZ will be hard to explain away.
Trump blamed the breakdown on North Korea’s insistence that all the punishing sanctions the U.S. has imposed on Pyongyang be lifted without the North committing to eliminate its nuclear arsenal.
“Sometimes you have to walk,” Trump explained at a closing news conference after the summit was abruptly cut short. He said there had been a proposed agreement that was “ready to be signed.”
“I’d much rather do it right than do it fast,” Trump said. “We’re in position to do something very special.”
Is it a failure to walk away? No, of course not. If there's not a deal to be made, don't make one. Reagan walked away from Gorbachev and kept the pressure on the Soviet Union. Things changed. It's a long train ride back to Pyongyang and I wouldn't be surprised if Kim hears from his Chinese enablers about what happened before the train reaches its destination. I doubt this show is even close to over.
3 comments:
Next move:put real pressure on China to denuke the norks. A starting point would be to not allow their ruling classes to send any more students to American universities. Trump can do that on his own.
This whole thing is a process. It's got to be workable for the people back in North Korea, both high and low. It's got to be workable for China. And most of all, it's got to be what Trump wants. He'll get it. I'm confident of that.
Offer Kim all the booze he wants for him and any of his hookers who want to go with him to a tropical island for life. One can dream at least...
And I've got to wonder if the topic comes up in trade discussion with Beijing. One can only hope. You want access to American markets and universities? Let's attend to the mess between the Yalu River and the DMZ, friends.
Post a Comment