Highlights Shortcomings of President Trump’s ‘Trust Before Verify’ Approach to North Korea

Washington (July 1, 2018) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the East Asia Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after the Washington Post reported that U.S. intelligence officials believe that North Korea does not intend to fully surrender its nuclear stockpile and is determining ways to conceal the number of weapons in secret production facilities.

“Continuing the long tradition of the Kim family playbook, North Korea wants to front load rewards without making meaningful concessions,” said Senator Markey.  “That American intelligence officials believe Kim Jong Un intends to deceive the United States should be no surprise and is why President Trump’s ‘trust before verify’ approach to North Korea is naive and misguided. We must continue to engage with Pyongyang and work towards a peaceful way to denuclearize North Korea, but our diplomats are being put at a disadvantage by insufficient economic pressure on the Kim regime and its enablers, and by a series of missteps by the Trump administration.‎”

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