U.S. President Donald Trump headed to his second meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, determined to tamp down expectations that he'll achieve big strides toward denuclearization. Yet he was still eager to claim an attention-grabbing victory to offset the political turmoil he faces at home.
WASHINGTON -- Redefining success, President Donald Trump headed to his second meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, determined to tamp down expectations that he'll achieve big strides toward denuclearization. Yet he was still eager to claim an attention-grabbing victory to offset the political turmoil he faces at home.
Worries abound across world capitals about what Trump might be willing to give up in the name of a win, but there seems less mystery about his North Korean counterpart. Survival of the Kim regime is always the primary concern. "If I were not elected president, you would have been in a war with North Korea," Trump said last week. "We now have a situation where the relationships are good -- where there has been no nuclear testing, no missiles, no rockets."
Though details of the summit remain closely held, the two leaders are expected to meet at some point one-on-one, joined only by translators. While some remains have been returned to the United States, little has been achieved on the other points. Korean and American negotiators have not settled on either the parameters of denuclearization or a timetable for the removal of both Korean weapons and American sanctions.