Next Trump-Kim Summit Would Start on North Korea's Terms
This analysis argues that any future Trump-Kim summit will begin with North Korea in a far stronger negotiating position than in 2018-2019. Kim Jong Un has declared his nuclear arsenal permanent, secured a ratified strategic partnership with Russia (including military and economic support), and hosted Xi Jinping's first visit to Pyongyang in seven years. These developments reduce North Korea's dependence on Washington for sanctions relief and normalization. The article suggests Kim's goal is not formal recognition as a nuclear state but practical concessions: a freeze on weapons development, sanctions relief, reduced allied exercises, and a peace declaration that leaves the arsenal intact. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has floated a similar freeze-for-relief framework, which Trump reportedly found plausible. The author concludes that Washington has not yet adjusted its approach to these new realities.
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