Report Claims that US-ROK Exercises Maybe Bargaining Chip to Get North Korea to Return to Talks
Like I said before the Kim regime is not going to meet with the U.S. unless they get something out of it:
“Ahead of Kim’s visit, the North Korean leader made conciliatory remarks. In that respect, depending on what messages the U.S. nuclear envoy will deliver, whether stalled nuclear talks between the U.S. and North Korea will resume will be decided,” said Cheong Seong-chang, director of Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute.
Korea Times
The U.S. side may consider downsizing or suspending its combined military drills with South Korea, scheduled for August among other “carrots” for the resumption of nuclear talks. The North Korean regime has strongly denounced the annual exercises, held biannually in spring and summer, as a rehearsal for invasion.
Last month, President Moon Jae-in also mentioned the impossibility of a full-scale drill, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, although many believe that his reference had to do with his last-ditch efforts to improve inter-Korean ties before his presidency ends in May of next year.
In addition, a possible provision of COVID-19 vaccines to North Korea may be on the agenda during a series of meetings.
You can read more at the link, but food aid is another area the U.S. may offer freebies to the Kim regime as well to sit down and talk.
