Trump Administration Preparing to Resume Talks with North Korea: Officials Consider New Strategy
According to sources, while the North Korea issue is not currently among Trump’s top priorities, he is interested in re-establishing contact with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, including arranging a personal meeting.
His national security team is already preparing for this possibility amid Pyongyang’s alarming nuclear advancements following two previous, yet fruitless, summits.
This was reported by Axios, citing a senior U.S. official and three other sources familiar with the discussions.
According to Andrew Yeo, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, the involvement of think tank experts along with current and former officials indicates that Trump’s team is examining scenarios for a potential new meeting with Kim. He also noted that Trump’s numerous positive remarks about the North Korean leader over the past six months further confirm his interest in such a move.
One former senior U.S. official added that preliminary planning is underway within the administration in case Kim sends another "flamboyant letter" that could quickly jumpstart the negotiation process.
As part of these preparatory efforts, the Swedish ambassador to North Korea, who represents U.S. interests in the country, visited Washington last week. According to sources, consultations included discussing Washington’s overall stance toward the possibility of renewed dialogue with Pyongyang. Additionally, representatives from the State Department and National Security Council participated in several closed roundtable discussions with external experts on the prospects for resuming talks.
One key issue in these discussions was identifying potential North Korean interlocutors. Most DPRK officials who participated in negotiations with the U.S. during Trump’s first administration have either been removed or sent for "re-education," noted Jenny Town, director of the Korea Program at the Stimson Center.
She added that Pyongyang has recently refrained from making direct statements about its readiness for talks, although its position on the matter has become less negative.
A former senior U.S. official explained that the regime’s willingness to engage in dialogue would depend on the discussion topics. While previous talks focused on denuclearization, Pyongyang is now unlikely to seriously consider this option: North Korea’s nuclear status is enshrined in its constitution and forms part of the Kim family’s legacy.
However, discussions on arms control and recognizing North Korea as a nuclear state might interest Pyongyang. Such an approach, however, would raise serious concerns in South Korea and Japan, which might consider developing their own nuclear arsenals.
Sources also pointed out that Trump would now find it more difficult to achieve the element of surprise as he did during the initial talks. At that time, China’s support played a key role in pressuring Pyongyang, but Beijing is currently reluctant to assist the U.S. Additionally, North Korea has significantly strengthened its position by expanding cooperation with Moscow, including sending troops to participate in combat operations against Ukraine.
Source: Axios.
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