With new comments on Twitter digging deeper into the upcoming North Korea talks, President Trump is not only defending the idea of diplomacy against pessimistic press reports, but appears quite upbeat about the process, saying he believes “the deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the world.”
Trump also reiterated that North Korea had promised not to carry out any missile tests throughout the meetings, noting North Korea hasn’t conducted a single test single November 28, and adding that “I believe they will honor that commitment.”
Media coverage of Thursday’s announcement of direct talks between Kim and Trump has been met by both a shock at the historic turn of events, and fairly quickly a lot of skepticism. Trump’s long-standing pessimism about diplomacy with North Korea doubtless is informing at least some of this.
But Trump has done a dramatic 180 on the matter, seeing a new side of North Korea’s Kim Jong-un during the Winter Olympics diplomacy, and embracing the opportunity to meet directly. Exact time and place are still to be determined, but it is said to be expected “by May.”
It’s an historic meeting whatever happens, and Trump’s willingness to defend the idea directly and publicly suggests he’s invested in a way he wasn’t before, which should be an enormously positive sign for reaching a deal.