Accessibility links
diplomacy diplomacy
Stories About

diplomacy

Tuesday

PHOTOS: Highlights Of The Trump-Kim Summit In Singapore

President Trump gestures to reporters as he meets with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un at the start of the U.S.-North Korea summit in Singapore on Tuesday. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

World

PHOTOS: Highlights Of The Trump-Kim Summit In Singapore

Tuesday's meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong Un marks the start of a long negotiation process over North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Here are highlights in photos from a momentous day.

Monday

Who's Who At Tuesday's Trump-Kim Summit In Singapore

President Trump participates in a working luncheon hosted by Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Singapore on Monday. Officials from both delegations also attended the luncheon. Photo by Ministry of Communications and Information, Republic of Singapore / Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Photo by Ministry of Communications and Information, Republic of Singapore / Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

World

Who's Who At Tuesday's Trump-Kim Summit In Singapore

When President Trump and Kim Jong Un meet on Tuesday, it will be the result of strenuous diplomacy by officials from the U.S., North Korea and other countries. Here are some of the key figures.

The Pressures Of Being An Interpreter At A High-Stakes Summit

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright met in Pyongyang on Oct. 23, 2000. Tong Kim (between Albright and Kim) served as the State Department interpreter. Reuters hide caption

toggle caption
Reuters

World

The Pressures Of Being An Interpreter At A High-Stakes Summit

President Trump doesn't speak Korean and little is known about Kim Jong Un's English skills. The best interpreters serve as both linguists and diplomats. They understand the politics behind the words.

The Pressures Of Being An Interpreter At A High-Stakes Summit

Listen · 4:52
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/611734103/618812567" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

Uproar Continues Over Pro-Right Remarks By U.S. Ambassador To Germany

U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell gets in his car after an accreditation ceremony for new ambassadors in Berlin on May 8. Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images

Politics

Uproar Continues Over Pro-Right Remarks By U.S. Ambassador To Germany

The new U.S. ambassador to Germany upset his hosts, and Democratic senators back home, with his announced support for right-wing populists in Europe.

Uproar Continues Over Pro-Right Remarks By U.S. Ambassador To Germany

Listen · 3:49
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/617799840/617799841" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Echoes Of Cuba? U.S. Employee In China Hit With 'Sensations Of Sound And Pressure'

An employee of the U.S. government in Guangzhou, China, has reported mysterious symptoms similar to those experienced by State Department employees in Cuba. Here, the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou. U.S. Department of State hide caption

toggle caption
U.S. Department of State

The Two-Way

Echoes Of Cuba? U.S. Employee In China Hit With 'Sensations Of Sound And Pressure'

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said "the medical indications are very similar and entirely consistent" with symptoms reported by American diplomats in Cuba, where there were reports of sonic attacks.

Wednesday

For Relatives Of U.S. Prisoners In Iran, Uncertainty Grows After Iran Deal Pullout

Hua Qu, the wife of Chinese-American Xiyue Wang, poses with a portrait of her family in Princeton, N.J., on May 9. Families of Americans detained in Iran are hoping President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal will not make it harder to get their love ones freed. Matt Rourke/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Matt Rourke/AP

Parallels

For Relatives Of U.S. Prisoners In Iran, Uncertainty Grows After Iran Deal Pullout

The Trump administration's decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal may complicate efforts to free American citizens detained in Iran, former U.S. diplomats warn.

Wednesday

New U.S. Ambassador To Germany Grenell Irks His Hosts The Day He Arrives

U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell (left) and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier greet the media during Grenell's accreditation process at the Bellevue Palace in Berlin on Tuesday. Michael Sohn/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Michael Sohn/AP

Parallels

New U.S. Ambassador To Germany Grenell Irks His Hosts The Day He Arrives

In his defense, Richard Grenell said his tweet instructing German companies to "wind down operations immediately" in Iran was just following "White House talking points."

Friday

U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul leaves the Foreign Ministry in Moscow on May 15, 2013.

U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul leaves the Foreign Ministry in Moscow on May 15, 2013. Misha Japaridze/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Misha Japaridze/AP

Parallels

Ex-Ambassador Michael McFaul Traces U.S.-Russia Ties 'From Cold War To Hot Peace'

In a new book, McFaul, who served as ambassador to Russia in the Obama administration, recalls how attacks against him got personal and offers his advice to current Ambassador Jon Huntsman Jr..

Ex-Ambassador Michael McFaul Traces U.S.-Russia Ties 'From Cold War To Hot Peace'

Listen · 7:06
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/608411358/608411365" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

In South Korea, Summit With North Korea Is Greeted With Hope — And Skepticism

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in embrace after signing the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula during the Inter-Korean Summit at the Peace House on Friday. Korea Summit Press Pool/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Korea Summit Press Pool/Getty Images

Parallels

In South Korea, Summit With North Korea Is Greeted With Hope — And Skepticism

News of the agreement to seek a peace treaty ending the Korean War and achieve nuclear disarmament has inspired some to dream of a nation reunited. Others warn that big problems are likely to remain.

In South Korea, Summit With North Korea Is Greeted With Hope — And Skepticism

Listen · 3:53
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/606358775/606580219" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Monday

Japan's Premier Visits Trump Amid Troubles Both Foreign And Domestic

U.S. President Donald Trump reviews an honor guard during a welcome ceremony, escorted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, Nov. 6, 2017. Koji Sasahara/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Koji Sasahara/AP

Parallels

Japan's Premier Visits Trump Amid Troubles Both Foreign And Domestic

As he meets the U.S. president at Mar-a-Lago, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is facing roiling political scandals at home, and waning influence abroad.

Japan's Premier Visits Trump Amid Troubles Both Foreign And Domestic

Listen · 3:54
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/602809055/602971824" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

Diplomatic Corps In Moscow Shrinks Just When U.S.-Russia Tensions Are At A High

Buses with U.S. diplomats and their families who have been expelled from Russia leave the U.S. Embassy compound in Moscow on April 5. They were the first of a group of 60 U.S. diplomats who have been expelled from Russia, after the United States kicked out the same number of Russian diplomats. Vasily Maximov/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Vasily Maximov/AFP/Getty Images

Parallels

Diplomatic Corps In Moscow Shrinks Just When U.S.-Russia Tensions Are At A High

"Throwing out 60 diplomats is a big blow to the ability of people simply to have discussions on subjects that need to be discussed," said James Collins, a former U.S. ambassador to Moscow.

Diplomatic Corps In Moscow Shrinks Just When U.S.-Russia Tensions Are At A High

Listen · 3:55
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/601903893/601925267" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Tuesday

Mike Pompeo: A Soldier, Spy Chief And Tea Party Republican To Become A Diplomat

Mike Pompeo has been a leading critic of the nuclear deal with Iran and has said the U.S. would not soften its stance on North Korea ahead of planned talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Trump. Andrew Harnik/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Andrew Harnik/AP

Parallels

Mike Pompeo: A Soldier, Spy Chief And Tea Party Republican To Become A Diplomat

He's been a tank commander, a successful businessman, a congressman and head of the CIA. He's cultivated a tough-guy persona with hawkish views on foreign policy. He's set to be the top U.S. diplomat.

Mike Pompeo: A Soldier, Spy Chief And Tea Party Republican To Become A Diplomat

Listen · 3:56
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/567733814/593272285" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Guess Who Knows Both President Trump And Kim Jong Un?

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman presents the book The Art of the Deal to North Korea's Sports Minister Kim Il Guk last June in Pyongyang, North Korea. Until this week, Rodman was believed to be the only person who had met both Kim and the U.S. president. Kim Kwang Hyon/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Kim Kwang Hyon/AP

Parallels

Guess Who Knows Both President Trump And Kim Jong Un?

Until this week, only one person was believed to have spent quality time with both leaders: Dennis Rodman.

Tuesday

Wanted: U.S. Envoy To Talk To North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, and Choe Ryong Hae, vice chairman of the central committee of the Workers' Party, arrive for the official opening of the Ryomyong residential area, in April 2017 in in Pyongyang, North Korea. Wong Maye-E/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Wong Maye-E/AP

Opinion

Parallels

Wanted: U.S. Envoy To Talk To North Korea

President Trump should appoint a senior envoy, backed by a strong interagency team, to represent him in talks with the North Korean government.

Monday

Pence Draws Applause, Some Heckles, For U.S. Embassy Move To Jerusalem

Vice President Pence (left) shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem on Monday. The visit, initially scheduled for December before being postponed, is the final leg of a trip that has included talks in Egypt and Jordan as well as a stop at a U.S. military facility near the Syrian border. Ariel Schalit/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Ariel Schalit/AFP/Getty Images

Parallels

Pence Draws Applause, Some Heckles, For U.S. Embassy Move To Jerusalem

Israeli politicians gave standing ovations as Vice President Pence promised a faster timetable for a U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. A Palestinian official called Pence's words "a gift to extremists."