Air Force One touched down in Hanoi, Vietnam, at 8:54 a.m. ET this morning as President Donald J. Trump prepares for his second summit with Chairman Kim Jong Un of North Korea this week.
“As part of a bold new diplomacy, we continue our historic push for peace on the Korean Peninsula,” President Trump said in this month’s State of the Union address.
Last June’s meeting in Singapore marked the first time in history that an American president has met with the leader of North Korea. This week’s summit looks to build on the progress made that day, including transformed relations between the two countries and the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula—a goal that seemed virtually unachievable for decades.
America’s negotiations with Chairman Kim are already producing results, both for our citizens and for our allies:
- North Korea has not conducted a nuclear weapons or missile test in more than 400 days.
- The regime has committed to dismantling its plutonium and uranium enrichment facilities.
- American citizens are no longer detained in North Korea.
- North Korea has returned remains of Americans who died during the Korean War—and President Trump is working to return more.
President Trump’s strategy is working where past administrations have failed for one reason above all else: America wins when it negotiates from a position of strength. Upon taking office, President Trump mobilized a global coalition to enforce a maximum pressure campaign on the regime in Pyongyang. He made clear that the world would not accept a nuclear-armed North Korea—and that provocations would come with a cost.
Now, instead of hopelessness, there is opportunity. The President has made clear that should Chairman Kim follow through on his promise to denuclearize, the Trump Administration will work to ensure there are economic development options for North Korea. The United States and its partners are prepared to explore how to mobilize investment, improve infrastructure, enhance food security, and more.
“Our hostages have come home, nuclear testing has stopped, and there has not been a missile launch in more than 15 months,” President Trump told Congress three weeks ago. There is still work to be done, but the early returns are clear: A strong United States of America makes for a stronger, safer world.
Tod Lindberg: Why the Trump approach beats the Obama one
The facts: President Trump’s historic push for peace on the Korean Peninsula
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