The Citizen (KZN)

French not impressed

- Paris

– French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian yesterday criticised Donald Trump’s “destabilis­ing” foreign policy after the US leader fell out with historic US allies then “practicall­y hugged” North Korea’s dictator in a matter of days.

Le Drian said Tuesday’s summit between Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un was “an undoubted step forward”, but expressed concern about the US president’s diplomatic manoeuvres.

“In the space of just a day, you see President Trump attacking Mr Trudeau, who is a historic ally, and you see [him] breaking with his collective allies after the G7 meeting in Quebec and, the next day, he practicall­y hugs a dictator born into a communist dictatorsh­ip which just a few days ago he said he was completely opposed to. We are in a destabilis­ing situation,” Le Drian told CNews television.

“President Trump has decided to progressiv­ely dismantle the tools of multilater­alism created after the last war. It is a period of uncertaint­y and risk ... America is shutting itself away in its fortress of power.”

Trump’s critics have seized on his warm embrace of Kim, days after a spectacula­r bust-up with G7 allies at a summit in Canada, as the latest sign of his rapport with autocrats.

Like many, Le Drian raised questions over how Kim’s promise to help rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons could be achieved.

“There have already been gestures towards denucleari­sation by the father of Kim that came to nothing,” Le Drian said. “So today it’s good news, let’s take it as such, but let’s make sure this principle is really irreversib­le and verifiable.” – AFP

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