International security

Why Talking To Russia Is Good For America

Last Friday, President Trump’s Asia trip took him to Vietnam for a meeting with regional leaders. None other than Russia’s head of state Vladimir Putin was in Vietnam, too. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the president thought it would be a good idea to talk with Putin.

This makes sense, especially on the topic of North Korea. The United States, Russia, and China share the same interest of a non-nuclear Korean Peninsula. But North Korea is stalling on diplomacy until it has the bargaining power of a warhead that can hit America. Before this happens, the Trump administration needs Russia and China to apply enough pressure on North Korea, at least by not providing the Kim regime an escape route, so North Korea comes to the diplomatic table.