Newswise — EVANSTON, Ill. --- In the first meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong Un, Trump gave in to Korean demands without realizing that he was getting nothing in return, says Northwestern University political scientist Ian Hurd, adding that the second meeting promises more of the same.
“I expect it will reveal the wide gap between the president and his cabinet -- Trump, vain and easily distracted, will claim victory regardless of what happens, while the departments of State and Defense have learned over the years that North Korea’s promises to disarm are worthless.”
Ian Hurd is a professor of political science in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern. The author of “How to Do Things With International Law” (Princeton University Press), Hurd’s work focuses on public international law, the theory and practice of international organizations and international relations theory. He has published on organization theory and international institutions, the politics of legitimacy at the United Nations, U.N. reform, labor standards and the International Criminal Court. He can be reached for comment at [email protected] or (office) 847-491-4847.
Quote from Professor Hurd
“The North Korean government has no incentive to actually dismantle its weapons but every reason to pretend to do it. If Trump believes a North Korean promise to disarm, it will deepen the crisis in American foreign policy as the president sides with a foreign dictator against his own government.
“The North Korean government has profited well from its nuclear weapons program. It is a reliable tool to extract concessions from the United States. There is no reason to believe that a promise to de-nuclearize this week will lead to meaningful moves in the future.”
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