Little detail but optimistic steps to change

ANALYSIS

CHARLES

SECURITY strategists will tell you the world’s great powers do what they will and the weak powers do what they must.

Yesterday’s summit was to allow Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un to work out who was which in an evolving world order.

Cautiously the signs suggest we are in for a Cold War-esque era of glasnost with this signed, lofty two-page denuclearisation document. Although there is no timeline or detail, it is an amazing result given the confused messaging in their “Ilove-you-I-hate-you-I-loveyou” rhetoric over the past 12 months.

The confusion has been coupled with the grave domestic challenges of both nations.

Reclusive North Korea is facing near starvation and ever tightening sanctions including by ally China, and in America Mr Trump has been battling his own administration, an FBI probe, and a frustrated Congress now alleging he has personally breached the constitution.

Historically, embattled world leaders make dangerous decisions (or late night tweets) that can lead to catastrophic consequences for the rest of the world.

So the Singapore summit was as much about these two personalities figuring out where they stood on the world stage as it was about striking a deal to curb North Korea’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for easing of crippling sanctions and, in the isolated regime’s own words, allowing it to become a “normal” country.

The men were full of praise for each other and will both look like victors domestically, more so Mr Kim who didn’t need to pledge any irreversible or verifiable change as the US had demanded.

Ironically just getting this far may not have been possible but for this pair’s unique personalities so the lack of detail from the “Summit of the Century” cannot be judged harshly.

Personal relationships can make a difference, just look at the Cold War and what was achieved once Ronald Reagan met with Mikhail Gorbachev.

Mr Trump said from the brief encounter rounded out by a beef ribs and crispy pork lunch, the men now had a “excellent relationship”.

But the unprecedented meeting’s success can only be measured by how these men conduct themselves in the weeks and months from now and what real outcomes take place.