Donald Trump and Kim Jong -un are preparing for a personal meeting. These negotiations may not end in anything, but will definitely go down in history

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who were calling each other “Man-Rocket” and “slightly-wise old man” six months ago, have been preparing for negotiations since the beginning of March. The idea of ​​holding a meeting at the highest levelbelongs to Kim Jong -un: he made it clear that he was ready to discuss the change of nuclear arsenal DPRK in exchange for security guarantees. The date and venue of the summit are still unknown, but if it takes place, these will be the first personal negotiations of the current president of the United States and leader of North Korea in history. True, experts are not sure that they will bring the result.

What is known about the meeting

Kim Jong -un went to the head of China Xi Jinping to discuss her. On March 26, American and Chinese media wrote that the DPRK leader arrived in China for negotiations with Xi Jinping. Journalists called this the first foreign visit to Kim Jong -un, noting that he had come to Beijing on an armored train; The same way of moving abroad was chosen by his father Kim Jong Ir and grandfather, the founder of the North Korean state, Kim Il Saint.

China confirmed the visit of the DPRK leader after he left. The official news agency “Xinhua” reported that Kim Jong -un discussed his upcoming meetings with Trump and South Korean President Moon Zhe, his upcoming meetings. The Western media concluded that North Korea decided to enlist the support of China, which was one of its few allies, but then limited bilateral relations because of the North Korean nuclear program.

Before negotiations with Trump, Kim Jong -un will meet with the President of South Korea. The summit will be held on April 27 in the Palace of the World on the South Korean part of the border village of Phanmunge - it was there that in 1953 a truce in the Korean war was achieved. If the meeting will nevertheless take place, Kim Jong-un will become the first North Korean leader to step on the land of South Korea. His father and predecessor Kim Jong Ir held two meetings with the South Koreans, in 2000 and 2007, but both of them took place in Pyongyang.

At the summit, according to experts, they will discuss the nuclear program of North Korea, the withdrawal of troops from the demilitarized zone , as well as a peace treaty that would marked the end of the war between the two Korea (now only a truce is concluded).

A meeting with the US President is being prepared by American intelligence led by CIA Director Mike Pompeo. On April 18, The Washington Post, and then other American publications, citing sources, reported that the head of the CIA Mike Pompeo, whom Trump had nominated for the US Secretary of State, flew to North Korea for a secret meeting with Kim Jong -un. Soon Trump confirmed the visit of Pompeo to the DPRK.

The American media could not find out the details of the negotiations, but found out that there were no representatives of the State Department or the White House - only the CIA employees. Trump also did not talk about what Pompeo and Kim were talking about, saying only that they were discussing the upcoming summit. “The elimination of nuclear weapons will be useful for the whole world, as well as for North Korea!” - wrote the American president on Twitter.

What remains is unknown

When and where the summit with the participation of Trump and Kim will take place. The US President said he would meet the DPRK leader in late May - early June, but the exact date of negotiations is still unknown. It is also not determined where they will pass. The US President said there are five options for the scene of the summit.

According to The New York Times, the White House considers Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, Vietnam or Mongolia. The choice in favor of the Asian countries is more likely, according to the former CIA -Sue Analyst Mi Terry, since the Kim Jong -un aviation park consists of Soviet aircraft that are not able to fly long distances without refueling. “The easiest decision, at least from the political side, will be the capital of Mongolia Ulan-Bator; The Mongols love to call themselves Asian Switzerland, ”said John Hopkins, John Hopkins, Joel Ut, a senior researcher at the University of American-Korean Institute.

Whether the leaders of the United States and the DPRK will be able to agree on something. Obviously, Trump will speak with Kim on the same topics as the South Korean president on April 27. The United States and South Korea primarily want to achieve the surrender of the North Arsenal of the DPRK; In recent months, Kim Jong -un has been hinting that he could go for it. “The North Korean side claims that it makes no sense for her to keep nuclear weapons if an external military threat is liquidated,” the South Korea authorities said . However, as the New York Times recalls , the United States has already discussed with the DPRK the abandonment of the nuclear program in the 1990s and the mid-2000s, but both times the discussion did not go. Donald Trump has already stated that if the negotiations are not fruitful, he "would leave them respectfully."

There are also a number of difficulties with a peace treaty between North and South Korea. In 1953, signatures under an armistry agreement from the South Korean side were placed by the United States, and China from the North Korean; A peace treaty cannot do without the participation of these two countries. China has repeatedly spoke out in support of peace on the Korean peninsula, but against the backdrop of a trade war with the United States, he can change his policy, said Chen Xiahe, an expert on North Korea from the Chinese University of Renmin. In addition, he notes, to sign the US world, it will first be necessary to establish diplomatic relations with North Korea.

Olga Korelina