A former U.S. official has predicted that if U.S. President Donald Trump holds a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issues such as the tacit acceptance of North Korea's nuclear weapons, a peace agreement to formally end the war, and the suspension of joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises are likely to be put on the table.

Anthony Ruggiero, who served as the National Security Council (NSC) director for North Korea during the first Trump administration, wrote in an opinion piece for the U.S. congressional media outlet The Hill on the 27th local time that "any negotiations between (Trump) and Kim are likely to include at least tacit recognition of North Korea's nuclear weapons program."

Ruggiero further noted that "Trump could offer a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War, improvements in political and economic relations, and the permanent suspension of joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises," adding that "Trump could also facilitate inter-Korean dialogue."

He suggested that President Trump should insist on verifiable limits regarding North Korea's long-range ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs.

He also added that any agreement should include North Korea withdrawing its troops and halting military support for Russia, which is currently at war with Ukraine.

Ruggiero predicted that President Trump could travel to North Korea or a neutral location to sign an agreement with Chairman Kim, viewing this as a dramatic scene worthy of intense media attention for President Trump.

Ruggiero analyzed that President Trump could secure leverage over Chairman Kim by sanctioning North Korean nationals operating in China, as well as Chinese banks and individuals aiding North Korea's sanctions evasion.

He believed such measures would be comparable to U.S. pressure campaigns targeting small Chinese refineries processing Iranian crude oil, and thus would not provoke Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Explaining that negotiations with North Korea will not be easy, Ruggiero stated, "While many view North Korea as a backward, hermit kingdom, it has over 30 years of experience negotiating with the United States and has generally achieved the outcomes it wanted."

At the same time, he defended President Trump's approach toward North Korea, arguing that although President Trump will face criticism for pursuing a summit with Chairman Kim, he deserves credit for pursuing pragmatic goals, unlike previous administrations that repeated the same negotiating strategies while expecting different results.

Ruggiero served as the NSC director for North Korea from 2018 to 2019, when President Trump held summits with North Korea during his first term.