This is an excerpt from an article by ASPI Vice President Daniel Russel that was originally published by the Nikkei Asian Review. 

While the diplomacy over the Korean Peninsula has been a roller-coaster ride, it now seems certain that the Singapore summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will indeed take place on June 12.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, himself a veteran of negotiations with Pyongyang, is visiting Washington this week and no doubt will inject a much-needed note of realism into the heady atmosphere surrounding the historic meeting.

After all, Trump himself has loudly proclaimed his optimism, said he thinks the North is willing to denuclearize, and repeatedly predicted the summit would be a big success -- most recently based on "very nice" letter from Kim that he later acknowledged he had not read yet.

But maybe Trump is right. The summit will be a "success." But let's take a look at what such a success is likely to look like.

Read the full article.