Donald trump has caught the bull by the horns again. This time he has agreed to meet the Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. The meeting is expected to take place sometime this May and whatever the critics may say about it, this is a momentous decision; a decision that could well define the political scenario in East Asia. The Economic Times has reported that Donald is going into this meeting trusting his own sense and he feels he is better equipped to handle the meeting because of his business background.
The buildup
The buildup to the meeting is a surprise as both the leaders were hurling abuses at each other just a few weeks back, North Korea was looking belligerent and Trump was reacting forcefully.
To the credit of Trump, it must be mentioned that the US president earlier had also said that he would meet with Kim Jong-un if the circumstances were right. Now he has accepted the invitation to meet Kim and the USA and world will await the meeting with bated breath to see what comes of it.
North Korea, for the last two decades, had always wanted a meeting between their leader and the US president. They had sent feelers to Bill Clinton and George Bush for a meeting. These two leaders considered a meeting but after weighing the pros and cons of a meeting decided against it. The decision was probably based on input from advisors around the president. Obama also considered a meeting but rejected the idea.
One effect of this decision was that relations remained in cold storage. There is a reason to believe that this decision by the then presidents was based on the opinion of their advisors and thus they never met the North Korean leader. Had they met, there is a chance that the history of US-North Korea relations would have been different.
A different president
Trump is a"different" president and does not rely on the advice of his advisors, which he feels is misleading. He has accepted an invitation and the meeting will most probably take place in May this year. This is nothing short of a revolutionary step and shows that Trump is a president with a difference.
He goes by his business sense as he feels he is better equipped to handle a situation because if his experience as a successful businessman. There is also no doubt that he is a bold president who does not hesitate to take harsh decisions. An example is his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, something which previous presidents had balked at.
Last word
Many are skeptical of this meeting, but all one can say is "don't be too sure that nothing will come out of it." Trump may pull a rabbit out of the hat and then history will be made.
