Trump’s North Korea Deal Is Different, and Not in a Good Way
- Kim made fewer commitments than in earlier ‘failed’ deals
- Endorsement from the top all that matters, if Kim is onboard
This article is for subscribers only.
President Donald Trump sold his nuclear agreement with North Korea on Tuesday as different from -- and better than -- any that’s gone before. Measured against previous deals, though, the two-page document had similar language and was distinct mainly for being vague.
The statement Trump signed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un committed them both to the “complete denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula, as well as to a new relationship, a peace regime and security guarantees, none of which were defined. The omission of the words “verifiable” and “irreversible” from the phrasing on denuclearization suggested North Korean resistance to Trump’s requests.