TRUMP'S UKRAINE POLICY "UNSETTLES" S. KOREA

Hello and welcome to this week's first edition of Press Perspective.

It's Monday February 24th here in South Korea.

I'm Min Sunhee.

Today the world marks three years since Russia launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine AND the latest U.S. efforts to end the Kremlin's aggression against Kyiv are raising quite a bit of concern here in this part of the world about a dramatic shift in Washington's overall foreign policy.

For more I have Celio Fioretti with French daily La Croix.

Celio it's good to have you here.

I also have Cheon Soram with American broadcaster Radio Free Asia.

Soram welcome back.

1) Celio, Trump has spoken of a summit with Putin within this month in Saudi Arabia.

This will be his first overseas summit since re-entering the White House.

What message does this move send to America's allies in Europe?

2) Celio, today in the U.S. though, French President Emmanuel Macron will be meeting with his American counterpart Donald Trump.

What can we expect from those talks?

3) Soram, here in Korea,Trump's handling of peace talks for an end to Russian aggression in Ukraine is raising concerns that his future engagement with North Korea may sideline South Korea especially given its political turmoil.

Do you share this concern?

4) Celio, how, then, can South Korea make itself relevant to U.S. efforts to engage North Korea?

5) Soram, some pundits have suggested South Korea take on economic initiatives that the Trump administration may allow for North Korea in exchange for the latter's surrendering of its nuclear weapons ambitions.

Do tell us more about these suggestions.

6) Celio, American magazine "The Atlantic" compared the foreign policies of the Biden and Trump administrations and claimed Biden had weakened Moscow to the point that it sought support from Pyongyang, but that Trump is "throwing away this leverage" and ultimately "handing the world to China."

What are your thoughts?

7) Soram, do you suppose Trump's amicable ties with Putin may be used to coax Kim Jong-un back to the dialogue table?

8) And Celio, with regard to China, CNN carried an interesting piece about Beijing's concerns regarding Trump's turn to Putin.

Do tell us more, and do include your thoughts.

9) Soram, Putin has invited both the Chinese and North Korean leaders to Russia's Victory Day celebration in May.

We've been told that Trump has also been invited.

What would be the broader implications of Trump's accepting this invitation?

10) Celio, Putin's invitation reportedly came a day after Trump called for nuclear weapons control talks among the U.S., China, and Russia.

How do you explain this call by Trump?

All right.