"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." This aphorism, often attributed to Albert Einstein, seems to be the inspiration for U.S. President Donald Trump's North Korea policy. Trump's approach has been to reject everything that came before him, while involving himself in negotiations to an unprecedented degree. As a result, the U.S. secretary of state has been reduced to little more than a Sherpa for his master's summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The question, though, is whether Trump's unique approach is actually yielding any results. As of now, there has been nothing to suggest that North Korea is changing its ways. But with another Trump-Kim summit expected some time in the next few months, we might soon have more clarity on the matter.
Trump claims to have mastered the art of nuclear negotiation — if not the details, then at least its fundamental essence. In March, he interrupted a meeting between his then-national security adviser, H. R. McMaster, and a South Korean delegation to reveal, out of the blue, that he would gladly meet with Kim. He has since followed his own star, always asserting that great progress is being made. After his first summit with Kim in June, he declared, "There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea."