Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has backed a potential meeting between U.S. President 
Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, saying it is "very important" that they meet. The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog made the remarks in an interview with The Washington Post on Wednesday, as Trump has recently expressed his intention to meet Kim later this year.
What did Grossi say? "It's very important that they meet," Grossi was quoted by the newspaper as saying, before adding, "Leaders need to see each other." Kim's reputation as a human rights abuser and autocrat should not preclude engagement, Grossi told the Post. Citing Trump's efforts to broker an agreement between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he underscored the importance of diplomacy. "People say, 'How can you be shaking hands with this?' Shaking hands is what diplomacy is for," he said. "And then, after the handshake, there is hopefully a conversation, and in that conversation, which should be cordial and respectful, you are trying to get something done."
How has the prospect been received? Trump's quest to resume summitry with Kim has drawn mixed reactions, Yonhap reported. Some have expressed hope that it could rekindle stalled peace endeavors and help reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Others have voiced concerns that it could further legitimize Kim as a world leader while the goal of North Korea's denuclearization remains elusive.
When could a meeting take place? Trump is seeking a meeting with Kim that could take place during his next trip to Asia, likely during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November, The Wall Street Journal has reported. Trump met Kim in person three times during his first term: in Singapore in June 2018, in Hanoi in February 2019 and at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019.
Figures referenced: Donald Trump. — JudgeMarket.
