US lawmakers confused on what summit has achieved
Capitol Hill filled with skepticism, optimism over future overtures
Washington, June 13: Confusion, skepticism and a bit of optimism ricocheted around Capitol Hill on Tuesday as lawmakers tried to figure out what comes next after President Donald Trump’s historic summit with Kim Jong Un over North Korea’s nuclear programme.
Republicans and Democrats weren’t quite ready to toast the first meeting of a U.S. president with a North Korean leader. They weren’t sure what, exactly, was accomplished. They worried that Trump gave more than he got. They did concur that the pageantry and images won’t mean much unless the North denuclearises. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell called the meeting a “major first step” in US-North Korea relations, but not a decisive one if North Korea does not follow through.
“The next steps in negotiations will test whether we can get to a verifiable deal,” McConnell said. He added, “We and our allies must be prepared to restore the policy of maximum pressure.”
House Speaker Paul Ryan echoed that. “There is only one acceptable final outcome: complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearisation.”
Trump didn’t clarify matters when he dialed into the Senate GOP lunch upbeat and confident as he rode Air Force One on his way back home. Trump told the senators he had been up 26 hours. He seemed excited about the possibilities ahead, said Senator Rand Paul.
“Some get all up in arms, and say, ‘He’s too quick to have a meeting,’” Paul said. “I don’t think he’s given away anything. Look, they’ve stopped testing, they’ve released hostages. We’ll have to see what happens, but I’m optimistic.”
Democrats were openly skeptical, saying Trump had already given up some US leverage by committing to halting military exercises with treaty ally South Korea.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said there was a long ways to go beyond the “little statement” produced by the two leaders. — AP
Republicans and Democrats weren't quite ready to toast the first meeting of a U.S. president with a North Korean leader.
They weren't sure what, exactly, was accomplished. They worried that Trump gave more than he got.
They did concur that the pageantry and images won't mean much unless the North completely denuclearises.