February 28, 2019

Duckworth Statement on End of Trump-Kim Jong Un Hanoi Summit

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement following the conclusion of Donald Trump’s summit with Kim Jong Un in Hanoi:

“I am relieved to hear that the U.S. refused to end sanctions in return for the dismantling of only one of Kim Jong Un’s many nuclear sites and that the administration did not sacrifice our leverage simply for the optics of making a deal. We must be strong and consistent in negotiations with the DPRK and make it clear that any deal will require a full accounting of its nuclear program and most importantly, robust verification measures to ensure compliance. Continued U.S. determination and support for our allies is needed to force Kim Jong Un to return to the negotiating table and reduce north Korea’s threat to peace and stability.”  

Leading up to the summit, Duckworth warned Trump against using this meeting as another PR stunt and to avoid any deal that did not obtain serious, measurable and verifiable commitments that lead to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. She also criticized the administration yesterday when reports emerged that it was willing to drop its demand for a full accounting of Kim Jong Un’s nuclear program.

Last year, Duckworth also delivered a keynote address at Georgetown University stressing the importance of smart diplomatic efforts to mitigate the threat of war with north Korea and warning of the dangers of rushing to war after she took an official trip to the Korean Peninsula to meet with military leaders, diplomats and toured the DMZ. She has called on President Trump to declassify estimates of how many American servicemembers and innocent civilians would lose their lives so the American people can understand the costs of any renewed conflict with north Korea. Duckworth and Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) also introduced an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that prevents the President from withdrawing troops from the Korean Peninsula unless the military certifies it is in our national security interests and would not undermine the security of our allies in the region.

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