As reported by Reuters, US President Donald Trump’s upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could result in a peace declaration, but the attempt to secure action from North Korea could come at a cost.
Key quotes
“If Donald Trump’s summit next week with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un produces a peace declaration formally ending the Korean War as he has suggested, it could give the U.S. president a big headline-grabbing, made-for-TV moment on the world stage. But the public relations value of such a historic event could quickly fade if Trump fails, in return, to wring any significant concessions from Kim toward the dismantling of his nuclear arsenal, former U.S. officials and analysts say.
While Trump might seize on that as a way to tout the summit as a foreign policy success, it would mean granting North Korea something it has sought for decades but which previous administrations have said would only be possible if Pyongyang first agreed to give up its nuclear weapons.
Any end-of-war declaration – even if short of an actual treaty – could erode U.S. leverage in future negotiations if North Korea does not give ground on nuclear issues, experts warned. It also could give Pyongyang a stronger platform to press for a halt to joint U.S.-South Korea military drills, as well as the removal of U.S. forces from the South.”
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