Negotiations just getting started

The historic summit in Singapore between President Trump and Kim Jong Un was an important first step. Though the two came away with a commitment to “complete denuclearization” on the Korean Peninsula, we must throttle-down our expectations.

Essentially the two sides agreed to pursue more agreements. There was not much more meat on the bone than that.

Those celebrating the meeting as an outright victory for President Trump and the United States are very premature in doing so. Those who suggest the president gave away the store and was played by the North Korean regime are likewise misguided in their attempt to draw a conclusion at this point as we are in the very early stages of negotiation.

To quote Winston Churchill, “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

In this case, it may be more accurate to say this is the “beginning of the beginning.”

No matter, this is a remarkable step and it is important that the two countries begin crafting an efficient template for discussions.

There will be ups and downs and bluffing and bombast, no doubt — we’ve already seen some, but there is progress to be made. North Korea is in a desperate situation and the international sanctions have choked-off the regime to historic levels. It is undeniable that Kim is seeking relief.

The media are doing their best to downplay and minimize the events or express outrage over the embrace of a dictator and we can expect more of the same, regardless of any success on the ground.

We must do our best to ignore the noise and let the process play out. So far, so good.