Kirillov wrote:We've had one summit with a fairly non-committal protocol signed. For comparison, it was a long and torturous path that took Reagan and Gorbachev from 'one summit in which positive things were said' to 'the Soviet Union will no longer enforce communism in the signatories of the Warsaw Pact'.
I have no faith that Trump is either capable or willing to undertake that kind of tortuous path. Gorbachev and Reagan were both inspired by conviction, rightly or wrongly, which allowed them to take a policy path lasting years. I don't believe that is the case here, especially with regards to Trump.
The myth that Reagan somehow brought down the SU is as persistent as it is false. So I won't bother with it here. To think that the "conviction" of third rate actor like Reagan could have changed history is even more hilarious.
The factors that led to the dismantling of the SU were all on the SU side. That won't happen again. Putin, Xi and Kim have all learned from history.
Anyways, NK is just an insignificant side show that flares up or quiets down depending on what lever Beijing wants to pull in its trade game with the US.
I'm all in favor of the two meeting, but Trump is a hapless clown who is being played by Beijing and Pyongyang. To suggest that he achieved something that previous presidents could not have achieved is ridiculous. Kim was so desperate to meet with world leaders that he would have gladly met with any US undersecretary.
I never exclude the possibility of a miracle happening, but I can't see that Kim is going to give up his nukes and I can't see that the US is going to give up the sanctions.
Consistency obvious doesn't play any role in Trump's arbitrary policies, but Kim would have to accept a tougher deal than Iran if the US were to go soft on NK. I just don't see that.