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A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 3 May 2017
Trump, Putin signal new effort to cooperate on Syria

JULIE PACE dead and millions more dis- achieve lasting peace for significant American re- removal from power. And
AP White House Correspon- placed. The White House humanitarian and many sources would be required he vowed to work with any
dent announced it would send other reasons.” to safeguard the regions. country — particularly Rus-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- a top State Department of- The Kremlin character- Whether the U.S. and Russia sia — that wanted to play
dent Donald Trump and ficial to Russian-led talks on ized the call as “business- can find a way forward is a role in that effort.
Russian President Vladimir But last month, Trump was
Putin signaled improving moved by the gruesome
prospects for cooperation images of children killed in a
in Syria Tuesday in what the chemical weapons attack
White House called a “very that the U.S. has pinned
good” phone discussion on the Assad government.
that included a focus on The U.S. launched 59 Toma-
setting up safe zones in the hawk missiles against a Syr-
war-torn nation. ian air base, marking the
The Kremlin said the leaders first time America has di-
also agreed to try to set up rectly targeted the Syrian
their first in-person meeting government since the con-
in July, on the sidelines of flict there began.
an international summit in Some of Trump’s top advis-
Germany. The White House ers, including Secretary of
later confirmed that infor- State Rex Tillerson and Unit-
mation. ed Nations Ambassador
Tuesday’s call marked the Nikki Haley, leveled blister-
first time Trump and Putin ing criticism on Russia and
have spoken since the U.S. Putin following the chemi-
launched missiles against cal weapons attack.
an air base in Syria, an at- Yet Trump has continued
tack that outraged Russia, to hold out the prospect of
one of the Syrian govern- Russian President Vladimir Putin waits for arrival of German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a resi- a stronger relationship with
ment’s strongest back- dence in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, Tuesday, May 2, 2017. President Donald Russia, which was a corner-
ers. The U.S. military action Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled improving prospects for cooperation in Syria stone of his foreign policy
sparked new tensions be- Tuesday in what the White House called a “very good” phone discussion. platform as a presidential
tween Washington and (Alexei Nikolsky/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) candidate. He took to
Moscow, with top U.S. of- Twitter days after the Syria
ficials sharply condemning Syria that begin Wednes- like” and “constructive.” It deeply uncertain. The U.S. strikes to say that “things
Putin’s continued support day in Kazakhstan. made no mention of safe has long sought Moscow’s will work out fine” between
for embattled Syrian leader “President Trump and Presi- zones. Since taking office, help in Syria, where the civil the U.S. and Russia and
Bashar Assad. dent Putin agreed that the Trump has been raising war has created a vacuum “everyone will come to
But the leaders appeared suffering in Syria has gone the prospect of safe zones for the Islamic State and their senses.”
to again be edging toward on for far too long and that in Syria with world leaders. other extremist groups. But The shifts in the Trump
closer cooperation fol- all parties must do all they The zones would be aimed Russia’s ongoing support administration’s posture
lowing Tuesday’s call. The can to end the violence,” at protecting civilians — for Assad has been a per- came amid a steady swirl
Kremlin said Trump and Pu- the White House said. “The and dissuading Syrian refu- sistent roadblock. of controversy surrounding
tin agreed to bolster diplo- conversation was a very gees from trying to come As a candidate, Trump ar- possible ties between the
matic efforts to resolve the good one, and included to the United States, one of gued that the U.S. focus in president’s associates and
Syrian civil war, which has the discussion of safe, or Trump’s goals. But military Syria should be on terror- Russia during last year’s
left hundreds of thousands de-escalation, zones to leaders have warned that ism, not seeking Assad’s election.q
US Official:

North Korea’s nukes may be a tactic for taking over South Korea

M. PENNINGTON there may be some truth to instrument of blackmail to rea’s Kim Jong Un, offering heavily populated South
Associated Press claims that the North wants achieve other goals, even unusual praise for the glob- Korean capital.
WASHINGTON (AP) — North a nuclear deterrent to pro- including perhaps coercive ally ostracized leader at a Echoing other Trump ad-
Korea’s nuclear weapons tect its communist dictator- reunification of the Korean time of surging nuclear ten- ministration officials, Pot-
development may be de- ship. But Pottinger said the Peninsula one day,” Pot- sions. tinger said the U.S. isn’t
signed to take over archri- country’s robust conven- tinger told a conference in The U.S. has sent warships seeking regime change
val South Korea and co- tional military has worked Washington. to the region to deter North in North Korea. Rather, he
erce the United States into as a deterrent for decades. The North, he added, also Korea from conducting said the U.S. wants an end
abandoning its close ally, a Pottinger suggested other wants to coerce the United another nuclear test to to North Korea’s nuclear
senior White House official “disturbing” explanations States “to leave the penin- advance its weapons pro- weapons program.
said Tuesday, questioning for the North’s develop- sula and abandon our alli- grams. The North’s nuclear “We really have no choice
the North’s stated purpose ment of “an arsenal of ances.” and ballistic missile devel- but to increase pressure on
of warding off a U.S. inva- the worst weapons in the Pottinger’s comments at a opment already threatens North Korea to diplomati-
sion. world.” panel discussion organized South Korea and Japan, cally isolate them, to bring
Ruminating about Pyong- “They have made no secret by Sasakawa USA, a group and within years could put
yang’s possible motiva- in conversations they have promoting U.S.-Japan re- the U.S. mainland within a greater economic pain
tions, Matt Pottinger, the had with former American lations, came a day after striking range. The North to bear until they are willing
Asia director on President officials, for example, and President Donald Trump also has a formidable ar- to make concrete steps to
Donald Trump’s Nation- others that they want to opened the door to a fu- ray of conventional artillery start reducing that threat,”
al Security Council, said use these weapons as an ture meeting with North Ko- and rockets trained on the he said.q