DON’T SQUANDER IT, DEMOCRATS TELL TRUMP
US lawmakers will act if president ‘veers off course’, signs unsatisfactory deal with Pyongyang
UNITED States Democrats on Monday urged President Donald Trump not to squander the “historic” opportunity of a face-to-face summit with North Korea’s leader, as the lawmakers opposed any easing of sanctions without complete and verifiable denuclearisation.
Affirming their support for Trump’s scheduled June 12 meeting with Kim Jong-un in Singapore, seven influential Democrats, including senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, warned Trump against signing a deal at any cost, and laid out conditions they want met before any agreement is struck.
“As we approach what could be a historic summit, I’m concerned that the president lacks a real strategy in place on North Korea and risks squandering a potentially historic opportunity, putting our security and that of our allies at risk,” said Senator Robert Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Schumber added: “We’re all hoping the president will succeed in rooting for peace. We very much hope that he’ll achieve a lasting and strong agreement.
“But the president needs to be willing to walk away if there isn’t a good deal to be had, and he also needs to be willing to take the time to construct a good deal.”
In a letter to Trump, the lawmakers wrote that any pact explicitly or implicitly giving Pyongyang sanctions relief without verification of its obligations to dismantle its nuclear and missile arsenal “is a bad deal”.
Democrats also called on the White House to engage Congress throughout the diplomatic process, and said if the Trump administration starts “veering off course” and sign an unsatisfactory deal, Republican and Democrat lawmakers would act.
Meanwhile, Singapore will strike commemorative medallions to mark the historic meeting next week.
The medallions will depict an “affirmative handshake” between the two leaders, the scheduled date of the summit, and the flags of both countries, the Singapore Mint said yesterday.
At the back are the national flowers of both countries — roses for the US and magnolias for North Korea — and a dove with the words “world peace”.
The medals will be available in gold, silver and nickel-plated. Those wanting a piece of world history can pre-order the souvenirs, but the gold version — weighing 15.55g — is not cheap. It is priced at S$1,380 (RM4,088).
Price tags for the other two versions are not as hefty — the silver medallion is listed at S$118 and the nickel-plated one at S$36.
Only 3,000 gold medallions will be made, while 15,000 silver versions will be up for grabs. The number of nickel-plated medallions will depend on demand.