Apologies for the rather caustic title, but the latest release from Pyongyang regarding a possible third summit between Kim Jong-un and President Trump is completely unserious and shows that any American hopes for actual denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula are wholly unrealistic. The “offer” of another summit came during a speech Kim gave to Parliament. While the possibility of further progress is a worthy goal, North Korea’s diminutive dictator is already putting conditions on his potential participation and they clearly add up to what many of us suspected all along. Kim wants major sanctions relief and resources for his country before he’ll take even minor steps toward eliminating his nuclear stockpile. (Associated Press)

Kim during the speech blamed the collapse of his summit with Trump in February on what he described as unilateral demands by the United States. But he said his personal relationship with the American president remains good.

Kim repeated earlier claims that North Korea’s crippled economy would persevere through heavy international sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons program and that he wouldn’t “obsess over summitry with the United States out of thirst for sanctions relief.”

“We of course place importance on resolving problems through dialogue and negotiations. But U.S.-style dialogue of unilaterally pushing its demands doesn’t fit us, and we have no interest in it,” Kim said during the speech. “We will wait with patience until the end of the year for the United States to come up with a courageous decision. But it will clearly be difficult for a good opportunity like last time to come up.”

This is how the last summit fell apart and it’s obvious that Kim isn’t changing his tune in any way. Before he starts dismantling his missile and weapons programs, he wants the sanctions lifted and aid delivered to his country. Of course, that’s what his father and grandfather said also. How long are we going to keep falling for this steaming pile of lies?

Kim Jong-un is a monster and his promises are worthless. I’ve kept hoping over the past two years that maybe he would prove me wrong and begin dealing with the west in good faith. Nothing we’ve seen to date shows any sign of that, however. The North Korean dictator has already benefitted greatly from his relationship with Donald Trump while giving up nothing in return. He’s been traveling around to various summits and meetings rather than feeling trapped in his own country. World leaders pay attention to him and treat him as if he’s some sort of normal leader. He’s exploited his new relationship with South Korea and his revitalized ties to China. Those countries, in return, have jumped the gun on lifting sanctions and allowed food and fuel to flow back into North Korea.

All of this has been a major win for Kim Jong-un and he’s reveled in all of the attention. But at the same time, he’s not only failed to begin dismantling his stockpile of missiles and weapons but by most reports, he’s secretly expanding those programs. If the relationship between North Korea and South Korea can be mended, that’s a positive development for all concerned, but they can handle that without us. President Trump should ignore any offers of another summit with Kim until North Korea is ready to put something verifiable on the table.