June 13, 2018

The Singapore summit’s three big takeaways

It was like prom for Asia security watchers. The surprise invitation came out of the blue and was accepted, seemingly on a whim.

The Singapore summit quickly became the will-they-or-won’t-they event of the season, quite nearly derailed in fits of pique, saved only by an emotional exchange of letters. With abundant pageantry that kept experts glued to the coverage throughout the night, Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un finally shook hands on Sentosa Island — the first presidential-level meeting between an American leader and his North Korean counterpart, with the U.S. Stars and Stripes flying alongside the flag of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Here are three takeaways from the much-anticipated meeting.

The two sides didn’t agree on what “denuclearization” meant — but maybe that allowed them to talk.

Months before Trump and Kim met in Singapore, experts began to call attention to a festering bilateral issue: The two sides did not share the same definition of “denuclearization,” despite the fact that this was the subject of the summit.


Read the Full Article at The Washington Post

  • Podcast
    • February 4, 2025
    How Long Will Deterrence Hold?

    Mike hosts Michèle Flournoy, former Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), where she currently serves as Chair of the Board o...

    By Michèle Flournoy

  • Video
    • January 22, 2025
    Trump’s Second Term: How Will the New Administration Reorder U.S. Foreign Policy?

    The return of President Donald Trump to the White House represents a significant moment for both US foreign policy and geopolitics. Following Trump’s comprehensive election wi...

    By Lisa Curtis

  • Commentary
    • January 22, 2025
    Sharper: Trump's First 100 Days

    Donald Trump takes office in a complex and volatile global environment. Rising tensions with China, the continued war in Ukraine, and instability in the Middle East all pose s...

    By Charles Horn

  • Commentary
    • Foreign Affairs
    • January 20, 2025
    The Trump-Biden-Trump Foreign Policy

    The stability of U.S. interests and values, the role of Congress, and the realities of today’s world will demand a significant measure of constancy....

    By Richard Fontaine

View All Reports View All Articles & Multimedia