During this era in which instant gratification seems realistic to all too many people, President Donald Trump is doomed to disappoint them this week.
High hopes have been raised that Kim will agree to “denuclearization.” At some point, that is possible. It will not happen this week, however.
As knowledgeable analysts have pointed out, Kim sees a powerful arsenal as the only thing keeping him in power. He will not give it up, at least not immediately.
Trump understands that. He recognizes the best he can do Tuesday is to convince Kim to begin backing away from militarism. That may involve small, nearly imperceptible, steps at first.
Even that is real progress, it needs to be kept in mind. If the United States can obtain a verifiable agreement to at least limit North Korea’s buildup, it will be a genuine breakthrough.
