Trump should talk to Kim, but not at the expense of strategy

U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion of a possible meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this year could bring back a diplomatic channel that has been largely inactive. This is a positive development, but the idea of another Trump-Kim summit also brings up a crucial question: What is the United States hoping to achieve in this encounter?

On August 19, Trump stated his expectation of meeting Kim this year and emphasized the strong relationship he has with the North Korean leader. He also admitted that North Korea has a significant nuclear arsenal and should not have been permitted to develop one. These remarks indicate that Trump acknowledges the current situation.

North Korea is a nuclear-armed nation with increasingly advanced missiles and has been increasing its military collaboration. Any practical U.S. strategy must acknowledge this reality rather than assuming the strategic landscape remains the same since Trump's initial summit with Kim in 2018. However, acknowledging reality doesn't mean accepting it as immutable. The aim of renewed diplomacy is to find a way forward, not to freeze things in place.