Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
A meeting with North Korea would be "a first step" for diplomatic engagement, the Mansfield Foundation's Bruce Klingner says, as President Donald Trump pushes for a meeting with Kim Jong Un.
"The U.S. has not had a bilateral meeting or really any engagement whatsoever since October 2019, the last bilateral meetings, which the North Koreans described as 'sickening,"' he told Compass Points host Nick Schifrin.
U.S. negotiators "have said we are willing to meet anywhere, anytime about anything with no conditions, and yet North Korea has rejected that," he later added. "So just getting a meeting would not necessarily be a success, but it'd be a first step, sort of a normal first step of diplomatic engagement."
Compass Points from PBS News analyzes prominent international affairs topics and America’s role in a shifting world, breaking down global conflicts, rising tensions, and their implications for U.S. interests.
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A meeting with North Korea would be "a first step" for diplomatic engagement, the Mansfield Foundation's Bruce Klingner says, as President Donald Trump pushes for a meeting with Kim Jong Un.
"The U.S. has not had a bilateral meeting or really any engagement whatsoever since October 2019, the last bilateral meetings, which the North Koreans described as 'sickening,"' he told Compass Points host Nick Schifrin.
U.S. negotiators "have said we are willing to meet anywhere, anytime about anything with no conditions, and yet North Korea has rejected that," he later added. "So just getting a meeting would not necessarily be a success, but it'd be a first step, sort of a normal first step of diplomatic engagement."
Compass Points from PBS News analyzes prominent international affairs topics and America’s role in a shifting world, breaking down global conflicts, rising tensions, and their implications for U.S. interests.
Visit the PBS News website to watch this week's episode.
Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
Sign up for Here's The Deal with Lisa Desjardins: to.pbs.org/41q6E8i
Subscribe for exclusive content in our newsletters: pbs.org/newshour/subscribe
PBS News podcasts: pbs.org/newshour/podcasts
Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG
Find more from PBS News at pbs.org/newshour
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: bit.ly/2HfsCD6
Follow us:
TikTok: tiktok.com/@pbsnews
X: twitter.com/newshour
Instagram: instagram.com/newshour
Facebook: facebook.com/newshour
