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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 22 May 2018

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Can the 'dealmaker' president deliver on North Korea?

By CATHERINE LUCEY and the massive tax cut bill he pushing the U.S. toward a tions" should he abandon monuclear capability, it
ZEKE MILLER signed into law late last peaceful resolution to the his nuclear weapons. But would likely take years to
WASHINGTON (AP) — year. nuclear crisis. Trump also suggested Kim dismantle and verify that it
Weeks before his planned Going into the North Ko- North Korea threw a risks being overthrown and had abandoned its atomic
North Korea summit, Presi- rea meeting, senior admin- wrench in the plans last possibly death if the arsenal efforts, should it agree to
dent Donald Trump is star- istration officials say, the week, threatening to can- remains. do so.
ing down a dealmaker's president has been almost cel over concerns about Two former Trump admin- One official said the prior-
worst nightmare: overprom- singularly focused on the the U.S. push to see the istration officials said the ity of the talks in Singapore
ising and under-delivering. pageantry of the summit complete denucleariza- high degree of uncertainty would be to reach a topline
As the Singapore meeting —including the suspense- tion of the Korean Penin- surrounding the talks bene- understanding with Kim,
with North Korean leader ful roll-out of details. He sula. Administration officials fits Kim, who stands to gain with details to be fleshed
Kim Jong Un draws near, has not been deeply en- viewed the warning as the most in the form of in- out later.
the president and his allies gaged in briefing materials bluster, akin to Trump's own ternational legitimacy from The best-case scenario,
are growing increasingly on North Korea's nuclear promise to walk away if Kim a sit-down with Trump. experts said, would mirror
anxious about how he can program, said three peo- isn't serious about denucle- Concrete gains for Trump the Iran-nuclear agree-
score a win on the world ple with knowledge of the arization. Both sides, they would be slower to ment that Trump withdrew
stage. While Trump has White House efforts. They said, have a vested interest emerge. Denuclearization from earlier this month —
not suggested he wants to were not authorized to in a successful meeting. programs are measured in securing an end to the
back out, he has struggled speak publicly. Trump attempted to as- months, not days, and for North’s atomic program
to define his objectives for Scott Snyder, director of suage Kim's concerns last North Korea, which has al- in exchange for a lifting of
the historic sit-down and the Program on U.S.-Korea week, promising "protec- ready demonstrated ther- sanctions.q
last week he drew fresh Policy at the Council of For-
criticism from his foreign foil. eign Relations, said there's
"I think that Trump imag- a risk that "the ceremony
ined he would go into and the historic nature of
this meeting and be able the meeting be allowed
to have a historic break- to overshadow the deliver-
through with a deal, but it's ables."
clear he's starting to realize Driven by gut instinct,
it won't be as easy as he Trump rarely dives deep as
imagined," said Jean Lee, he prepares to meet with
director of the North Korea foreign counterparts. For
program at the Woodrow the North Korea meeting,
Wilson Center and a former insiders say, he is motivated
Associated Press bureau by the idea of scoring a his-
chief in Pyongyang. toric deal and is tickled by
Trump, who has pitched suggestions he could win a
himself as the ultimate ne- Nobel Peace Prize — espe-
gotiator, has focused on cially since Barack Obama
ambitious deals as presi- won the honor early in his
dent but has struggled with presidency. Trump has
the fine print. He just hit the maintained publicly that
pause button on his threat- his goal is to see the Korean
ened trade war with China, Peninsula denuclearized,
announcing an agreement and the North has agreed
to reduce America's trade to put its nuclear program
deficit with China — but on the negotiating table as
few details. He recently a condition for the talks. But
withdrew the U.S. from the the two sides are still miles
international Iran-nuclear apart on defining what
deal — without outlining a might be mutually accept-
path forward with his allies. able.
And his Middle East peace Trump will huddle Tuesday
plan, which he deputized at the White House with
his son-in-law to lead, is South Korean President
months overdue and fac- Moon Jae-in to prepare for
ing a more skeptical audi- the June 12 summit. It was
ence than ever. Moon's government that
Supporters stress that some- delivered the initial invita-
times Trump's ambitious tion from Kim for a meeting,
efforts do pay off, as with and South Korea has been