What to look for at the summit

There will be a lot of spin going on when President Trump emerges from his summit in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un tomorrow. Is there a way to tell hype from real progress? Here’s a look at some of the main things actual success will almost certainly require:

Deliverables

If Trump and Kim are serious about these talks, they will come to the table with something the other wants. Since they share a penchant for big, splashy actions, there has been a lot of speculation Kim may agree to hand over some of his nuclear weapons, fissile material or actual missiles, and that Trump is looking at some kind of peace declaration. Any of the above would be dramatic and potentially game-changing developments.

Flexibility

The Trump administration claims to have forced Kim to the negotiating table with its hardline “maximum pressure” policy of tough sanctions and heightened political pressure. But breakthroughs in talks will most likely involve a lot of give and take. Ultimately, Washington’s objective is the “complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearisation” of North Korea. Kim, on the other hand, is going to have to bend on something significant if he wants to keep the momentum going.

Commitments/Next steps

Friendly words of late notwithstanding, there’s a lot of bad blood between Washington and Pyongyang. Fixing it will take time. If progress is to be made, talks between the two countries — and not necessarily between the two leaders — must continue. Watch for a joint statement that announces concrete next steps.