Sergey Stankevich, International Relations Committee Chairman at Party of Growth:
- I'm going to make a soccer-style comment ahead of the World Cup. The game between North Korea and the United States in Singapore ended with a 3-1 win by Kim. 3-1. It started with a little warmup: The two sides exchanged and kindly accepted each other's invitations. Then they moved on to the game. What did Trump get? All he got was a vague promise to denuclearize North Korea, with no details or deadlines discussed. So he scored one minor goal. That's it. What did Kim get? First of all, Kim got a new status. He used to be an international pariah and the object of sanctions. The whole world joined in the sanctions game against North Korea.
- But the sanctions are still there.
- Right, the sanctions haven't been lifted, but he's no longer a pariah. According to Trump, he's talented, smart, and…
– Funny. That's what Trump said.
- He's a good partner. Yes, Trump did call him funny. A good, funny partner. That's a major change in North Korea's status. The second win is the "double-freeze" deal Kim has been advocating for. On the one hand, US-South Korea joint military training exercises are going to be ceased. On the other hand, North Korea is going to suspend its nuclear and missile tests. It's the "double-freeze" plan that Russia has been actively supporting.
– So the plan was ours, but all the credit goes to Trump.
- Kim has also been advocating for it and he got the deal. Finally, Kim got a promise of a step-by-step process. Trump used to insist on immediate denuclearization and a deadline. However, the signed agreement describes a step-by-step process, a long, slow, step-by-step process. It's now on paper, which is another win for Kim. Kim scored a 3-1 win. They had their first match in Singapore, but we'll see what happens next. The future of the game remains uncertain. Both parties are unpredictable. Either of them could stop playing soccer and switch to playing chess or something else. Trump may choose to play golf.
- They might do judo.
- So let's hope for the best because peace is beneficial for the entire world, including Russia.
- Sergey Borisovich, I agree with what you said, except perhaps it was Russia's 3-1 win. It'll be more…
- Let's not talk about Russia yet. Because an evil empire suddenly turned into a friendly, cheerful, interesting state. And that's an argument in favor of Russia. The same thing may happen at the next meeting between Trump and Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.
- Wait, but we're not an evil empire yet.
- And then the whole "bullying" of Russia that has been going on for years, the "bullying" of Russia on all levels, from sports to economics, will end.
Nikolay Rybakov, Deputy Chairman of Yabloko Party: I agree with my colleagues in that rather than view the situation from North Korea's or the US' perspective, we should put global interests first. There have been a lot of tensions on the Korean Peninsula lately, so, naturally, it has been under public scrutiny. In this regard, the meeting that took place is definitely a positive sign because although tensions still exist, they have been significantly reduced. That's definitely a welcome development. If I were a Russian or any other politician, I would conclude the following: No one's going to forget the unfriendly rhetoric both leaders used when talking about each other. But with something bigger in mind, I'm not talking about North Korea's or the US' interests, but about global peace and security, we must all sit down at the negotiating table and try to reach an agreement so we can all get along. I think what happened sets a good example and I hope it brings positive results in the future.
Aleksandr Romanovich, Secretary General of the Just Russia Party's Foreign Affairs Committee: Excuse me, do you mind if I say something, too? I think it's important. I agree with just about everything my colleagues have said. I agree that North Korea's leader won the Singapore match. But there's an important detail I noticed. Kim won because he was firm. He was defending what's fair for his country and his people. He wouldn't give in to any threats or promises to ease or lift sanctions. The sanctions that were used to put pressure on him did not have any effect. That's why we should never give in to threats or hope that sanctions will be lifted. That's a lesson for everyone who's facing sanctions. You should stand your ground and win by being firm.
- Aleksandr Leonidovich, it's important to note that Kim didn't take any action to escalate the conflict. He said that he would, but he never did. And that's another important detail.
– Yes, he did.
– Well, who sent aircraft carriers there? All right, the problem remains unsolved. There's a lot to discuss. This process will probably go on for a while. Yes, and the sanctions haven't been lifted yet.
