Trump open to dialogue with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, White House says
Al JazeeraJUN 14
White House: Trump Open to North Korea Talks
Above: North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (L) and U.S. President Donald Trump on the south side of the Military Demarcation Line, Korean DMZ, on June 30, 2019. Image copyright: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
America must tread carefully with North Korea's calculating regime. The Trump administration is sizing up different scenarios for another Trump-Kim meeting, yet Pyongyang's core strategy remains unchanged — exploit Trump's transactional nature and appetite for spectacle to secure concessions while offering minimal substance in return. Kim's nuclear arsenal gives him leverage to demand recognition as a nuclear power.
Pro-Trump narrative
America cannot abandon North Korea to Russia's embrace. Four years of silence have transformed Kim into Putin's arsenal supplier, threatening global stability. Despite nuclear defiance, history proves engagement yields results — reducing provocations and opening dialogue. President Trump's unique rapport with Kim offers America's best chance to pull Pyongyang from Moscow's orbit before it's permanently lost to an authoritarian alliance.