President Donald Trump met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam on Wednesday for the first time since their summit in Singapore in June last year.
The two will have a one-on-one conversation at the Metropole Hotel at 6.30pm local time (11.30am GMT), before having a “social dinner”.
A source close to the planning of Wednesday’s dinner between Trump and Kim Jong Un said chefs were still struggling a few hours ago to get a menu approved, as both sides — especially the White House — kept adjusting the menu to make it “super simple”
On Thursday, there will be a full summit of “back and forth meetings”, according to the White House.
Mr Trump said last year that he and Mr Kim “fell in love”. Since their meeting in Singapore, they have exchanged letters via envoys on a semi-regular basis.
Despite that, little progress has been made towards the process of denuclearisation, which both leaders agreed to work towards in Singapore.
Mr Trump is convinced that his personal relationship with Kim, combined with prospect of economic prosperity for North Korea, can break the impasse.
He has tweeted: “Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearise.
“The potential is AWESOME, a great opportunity, like none other in history, for my friend Kim Jong Un. We will know fairly soon – Very interesting!”
The White House has pointed to the absence of missile launches or nuclear tests by North Korea as proof of progress, but there is pressure on the summit to produce specific concessions and perhaps a road-map with steps for denuclearisation.
From North Korea, these could include destroying its nuclear fissile material production facilities at Yongbyon and elsewhere, and returning more remains of American soldiers killed or captured during the Korean War.
In return, the US could offer to open liaison offices in North Korea and to foster cultural exchanges.
It could also declare an end to the Korean War. This would be a political settlement, and not replace the armistice that has held since 1953. As a result, North and South Korea technically remain at war.