North Korea has most likely moderated its behavior on nuclear weapons because it has achieved what it considers to be a nuclear deterrent, not because of anything the United States has said or done, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Thursday.
"For the first time, they can come to the table, not as a supplicant, which has happened in the past," Clapper told CNN's "New Day," while commenting on a summit planned for President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this month.
"Denuclearization is going to take a long, long time and we're going to have to have an understanding of what the North Koreans mean by denuclearization," Clapper said. "This, in their mind, is a two-way street. It doesn't just apply because we're telling them to denuclearize."
Clapper said he also believes Vietnam as a meeting place holds good symbolism, as the country is a "former enemy who now has positive diplomatic, economic, and military relations with the United States."
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he does believe North Korea is willing to come to an agreement to denuclearize.
The summit is planned for Feb. 27-28, and marks the second time Trump and Kim will meet. Their first meeting was held last June in Singapore, and Trump has said his outreach to Kim has opened the path to U.S.-North Korea peace.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.