Good thread

Diplomacy with North Korea has reduced the risk of war. But the summit—and particularly its immediate aftermath—was a farce, and the respite is only likely to be temporary. (1/14)

— (((James Acton))) (@james_acton32) June 12, 2018

… …

Trump: “This is complete denuclearization of N. Korea, and it will be verified.” pic.twitter.com/BEMeVDzloS

— Jonathan Cheng (@JChengWSJ) June 12, 2018

Moreover, Trump seems to think that North Korea has agreed to complete unilateral disarmament. It hasn’t. (9/14)https://t.co/OIyyPcRyd4

— (((James Acton))) (@james_acton32) June 12, 2018

Trump: Kim will get back to N. Korea and start the process of denuclearization “right way.” “I think he might want to do this as much or even more than me.” pic.twitter.com/IgjQWxZ8rm

— Jonathan Cheng (@JChengWSJ) June 12, 2018

Worse still, he seems to think that North Korea is going to start denuclearizing right away. It won’t. (10/14) https://t.co/2ifGoJizga

— (((James Acton))) (@james_acton32) June 12, 2018

And, good points in response

Diplomacy with North Korea has reduced the risk of war. But the summit—and particularly its immediate aftermath—was a farce, and the respite is only likely to be temporary. (1/14)

— (((James Acton))) (@james_acton32) June 12, 2018

This thread is fine, but if you don’t make clear that the threat of nuclear war increased in 2017 because of Trump and not because of any significant change in North Korean behavior, your analysis is flawed and incompletehttps://t.co/YqPkschtgi

— XLProfessor (@XLProfessor) June 12, 2018

Any reductions in tensions that came from this Trump/Kim summit came from reducing TRUMP’S sense of threat. And the reason it was necessary to talk was to reduce TRUMP’S belligerent rhetoric. Talking is fine, but this meeting was to calm Trump, no one elsehttps://t.co/xEKJN4p1W8

— XLProfessor (@XLProfessor) June 12, 2018