What does the world say about the historic meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un?

1. Russia: US-North Korea summit is "a step in the right direction"

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on March 9 that a possible summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is "a step in the right direction."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia considers the meeting between the US President and the North Korean leader important because it is not simply the end of a conversation, but the opening of a path to reconciliation. Therefore, there is no need to speculate much about the reasons that brought North Korea to the negotiating table.

Speaking after the conference at the African Union headquarters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, Mr. Lavrov stressed: "We really hope that this meeting will take place. Certainly, this is necessary to normalize the situation on the Korean Peninsula."

2. China welcomes the US-North Korea summit

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.

China welcomes the historic summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and urges the two leaders to show “political courage” in pursuing the goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on March 9.

Speaking to the press, Mr. Canh Shuang stated: "We welcome this positive signal from the US and North Korea in organizing direct dialogue."
The spokesman also stressed that “the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula is on the right track” and expressed hope that all parties can show “political courage” to make the right political decisions.

3. Japan cautiously optimistic about US-North Korea meeting

Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan Yoshihide Suga.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on March 9 that North Korea's willingness to meet US President Donald Trump was due to efforts by the US and Japan to put pressure on North Korea.

Speaking at a press conference, Mr. Suga also said that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in a phone call with the US President on the morning of March 9, said that despite goodwill, North Korea still needs to prove to the world that North Korea is making efforts to denuclearize in a transparent and irreversible way.

4. South Korean President: Trump-Kim meeting will be a historic milestone

South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Photo: The Financial Express

"The May meeting will be remembered as a historic milestone in realizing peace on the Korean Peninsula,"Yonhapquoted Mr. Moon Jae-in as saying on March 9. "If President Trump and Chairman Kim meet after the inter-Korean summit, the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula will be on the right track like never before."

Mr Moon also expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for their "courage and wisdom". "In particular, the leadership of President Trump, who happily accepted Chairman Kim's invitation, will be praised not only by the people of South Korea and North Korea, but also by people around the world," Mr Moon said.

South Korea's president said the country would seize the "opportunity that came like a miracle."

5.Experts predict the outcome of the "historic" meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un

Mr. Robert Gallucci,“This is an unexpected and very welcome signal,” said the head of the US negotiating team during the 1994 North Korean nuclear crisis. “If representatives of the two governments can meet and hold a conference, it will be a significant step forward in reducing tensions and the risk of war.”

“If the negotiations between the two countries lead to the denuclearization of North Korea and the end of its long-range ballistic missile program, the main source of tension between North Korea and the world will also end,” Mr. Gallucci added.

Mr. Takashi Kawakami,“I think the US will wait for the outcome of the April talks between South Korea and North Korea before making a final decision,” said the director of the Institute of International Studies at Takushoku University in Tokyo. “I see three possible scenarios: First, North Korea will agree to disarm, second, North Korea will agree to a nuclear freeze with the US, and third, they will back down and continue to test missiles.”

“Of these three possibilities, the second one is the most likely. Japan can do nothing but support the US in continuing to put pressure on North Korea,” Kawakami added.

The last time North Korea tested a missile was in November 2017.

Senator Lindsey Grahamwrote on his personal Twitter page: “After many discussions with President Trump, I believe his tough stance on North Korea and its nuclear activities gives us the clearest hope in decades to address this threat.”

“I believe North Korea now truly believes that President Trump will use force. I have a warning for Kim Jong-un: you must not try to outsmart President Trump when you meet him. If you do, you and your government will not end well,” he wrote.

Mrs. Bonnie Glaser,“Trump probably believes he can convince Kim Jong-un to give up his nuclear weapons on his own,” said an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). “A meeting between Trump and Kim will be fraught with risks and opportunities. The US will have to be very, very careful and know what it wants to achieve and what it can give up.”

Mr. Ed Royce,“Kim Jong-un’s willingness to negotiate shows that the sanctions the U.S. government has imposed are starting to have an effect,” said the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “We can pursue the usual diplomatic measures while also applying more pressure. It is important to understand that North Korea has made empty promises and called for negotiations to try to force concessions and buy time.”

“This could be an opportunity for North Korea to advance its nuclear and missile programs. We must break this cycle. The United States and South Korea must stand together to apply the pressure needed to end this threat. Beijing must also do what it must,” Mr. Royce added.

Mr. Daniel Russel,“Let’s listen to what North Korea is proposing,” said the former US Deputy Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific. “We have many reasons to be cautious about what they do. It is important to remember that North Korea has made peace proposals before but never acted on them. They also asked the US President to talk to the North Korean leadership as equals, as nuclear-armed states. We have to respond differently than we have in the past.”

Mr. Mark Dubowitz,“The U.S. government’s maximum pressure campaign appears to be paying off,” said the executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “But we have to be very careful: These are things North Korea has said in the past, when Kim Jong-il said he wanted to meet President Clinton. Pyongyang must be serious about denuclearization. Meanwhile, the Trump administration must continue the toughest sanctions before the meeting takes place in May.”