Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 13 June 2018

U.S. politicians not yet toasting Trump-Kim summit

By LAURIE KELLMAN Some just sounded puzzled "complete, verifiable, and
Associated Press by the vagueness of the irreversible denucleariza-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- leaders' initial agreement. tion of the Korean penin-
publican and Democratic "It is difficult to determine sula."
leaders aren't quite cel- what of concrete nature And Kim offered no solid
ebrating President Donald has occurred," said Senate promises to abandon his
Trump's historic meeting Foreign Relations Commit- hard-won nuclear arsenal
Tuesday with North Korea's tee Chairman Bob Corker, any time soon.
Kim Jong Un, saying the ini- R-Tenn. Especially for Republicans,
tial agreement they struck Democrats were openly Trump's meeting with Kim
won't mean much unless skeptical, saying Trump seemed complicated
the North completely de- had already given up given the history of North
nuclearizes. some American leverage Korea's intransience and
Senate Republican leader by committing to halting distressing human rights re-
Mitch McConnell called U.S. military exercises with cord. Trump has seemed
the meeting a "major first Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., a member of the Senate Foreign treaty ally South Korea. largely unconcerned about
step," in U.S.-North Korea Relations Committee and the Judiciary Committee, responds "President Trump has celebrating an authoritar-
relations, but not a decisive to reporters asking about President Donald Trump's diplomatic granted a brutal and re- ian leader suspected of or-
one if North Korea does not travels at the G-7 in Canada and the summit with the leader pressive dictatorship the dering the public assassina-
of North Korea in Singapore, on Capitol Hill in Washington,
follow through. Tuesday, June 12, 2018. international legitimacy it tion of his half brother with
"The next steps in nego- Associated Press has long craved," Senate a nerve agent, executing
tiations will test whether Democratic Leader Chuck his uncle by firing squad
we can get to a verifiable One for the trip back. "We'll dents have the power, "by Schumer said. He pointed and killing U.S. college stu-
deal," McConnell said on check it very strongly." and with the advice and out that the Trump-Kim dent Otto Warmbier.
the Senate floor. He add- That didn't give lawmak- consent of the Senate, to agreement does not de- Warmbier, said Sen. Rob
ed, "We and our allies must ers much confidence. They make treaties," as long as fine what denuclearization Portman, R-Ohio, is "a con-
be prepared to restore the spent much of Tuesday two-thirds of the senators would mean. If nothing else stant reminder to me about
policy of maximum pres- saying they needed more present agree. happens, Schumer said the the evil nature of this re-
sure." information on what, ex- But Tuesday's announce- meeting amounts to "pure- gime."
That was echoed by House actly, happened at the ment in Singapore was ly a reality show summit." "I remain skeptical but
Speaker Paul Ryan, who historic meeting — and framed as a joint statement The first U.S. responses to the hopeful that this new dia-
said, "There is only one ac- questioning whether Trump between the leaders, not a dramatic meeting came logue can translate into
ceptable final outcome: gave away too much. treaty. Trump said negotia- as Trump and Kim headed meaningful progress," Port-
complete, verifiable, irre- Sen. James Risch, the Ida- tors would work out the de- home from Singapore. But man said in a statement.
versible denuclearization." ho Republican who chairs tails. even as he toasted the his- "I strongly believe that the
Trump didn't offer much as- the Senate National Se- Lawmakers of both par- toric meeting, Trump faced president's maximum pres-
surance on the question of curity Working Group, said ties said they preferred di- questions about what he sure campaign must re-
how to confirm that North Monday that expects any plomacy to the battle-by- actually won and whether main in place until North
Korea had complied with treaty-like agreement to tweet in which Trump and he gave away too much. Korea truly changes course
any deal. be submitted to Senate. Kim seemed to threaten Not included in the agree- and ends its dangerous nu-
"We're going to have to Risch said the White House nuclear war. But they ques- ment, for example, was clear weapons program."
check it and we will check has been largely in agree- tioned what, exactly hap- Secretary of State Mike At least one Republican,
it," the president told re- ment on that. pened at their face-to- Pompeo's language that Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.,
porters aboard Air Force The Constitution says presi- face meeting. the ultimate goal was the took a harsher stance.q