Washington (May 29, 2018) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the East Asia Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, encouraged additional preparations for a leader-level summit.  

“It is encouraging that talks with North Korea are back on track after last week’s unforced diplomatic error,” said Senator Markey. “Now, the focus must remain on tangibly reducing the threat from North Korean nuclear weapons, not simply producing a made-for-TV summit. The Trump administration cannot fall for false concessions, long the bread and butter of the Kim family’s negotiating approach.  

“We must continue to push for sustained talks to reach a diplomatic resolution, backed by economic pressure. It is unclear whether the regime in Pyongyang has felt the force of sanctions, so we must seriously question whether we have actually compelled North Korea to the table, ready to genuinely denuclearize. Congress must be prepared to impose stricter measures, if necessary, including on China, which is the primary enabler of the Kim regime. And if negotiations fail, we must be prepared to further ratchet up economic pressure, as there is no military solution to the North Korean threat.”

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