Trump could meet Kim first, then pursue another summit after midterm elections

Donald Trump could first meet Kim Jong Un simply to reopen dialogue, then pursue a second summit after the November midterm elections or next year, according to Anthony Ruggiero, a former Trump administration official involved in U.S.-North Korea diplomacy.

Ruggiero, who served as the National Security Council’s North Korea director during Trump’s first administration, outlined the scenario in a PBS interview. He said both leaders’ decision-making styles could favor direct talks: North Korea’s major decisions come from its top leader, while Trump prefers one-on-one negotiations and highly visible events.

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President Trump will probably just meet Kim Jong Un to start a dialogue in some form.

Ruggiero said he had changed his own position on the nuclear issue. Rather than insisting on denuclearization, he argued that Washington should implicitly accept that North Korea possesses nuclear weapons and pursue practical goals, including the withdrawal of North Korean forces from Ukraine and an end to military support for Russia.

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The issue the president and his team will have to consider is whether they can reach a practically effective agreement with North Korea, and whether they can prevent other countries from taking it as a signal that they can develop their own nuclear weapons.

He also warned that such an approach could send a signal encouraging other countries to develop their own nuclear weapons. The challenge, he said, would be reaching an effective agreement with North Korea without creating that impression. He argued that the United States has enough incentives and deterrent measures to manage the risk.

Ruggiero said Trump’s recent order to reduce U.S.-South Korean military exercises was unsurprising, given the president’s strong views on the drills. In a separate Hill commentary, he suggested a possible deal could include a peace treaty formally ending the Korean War, improved political and economic relations, and a permanent halt to the exercises. In return, North Korea could face verifiable limits on its nuclear and long-range missile programs, withdrawal from Russia and an end to military assistance. He also proposed sanctions on Chinese companies and individuals helping North Korea evade sanctions, and said Trump might favor signing an agreement in Pyongyang or a neutral location.

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We have enough incentives and deterrent measures to prevent that, I believe.