Sen. Cory Gardner said Friday that verifiable denuclearization is the “new red line” in the United States relationship with North Korea dictator Kim Jong-un and said success of the negotiations hinges on China being all-in.
The Colorado Republican said the shift away to President Trump’s “maximum pressure doctrine” and away from former President Barack Obama’s “failed strategic patience doctrine” has pressured Mr. Kim to enter into talks, and he said the stakes are high.
“If the result of this meeting is not verifiable concrete steps to denuclearization, than it will be a failure, and then the president is going to be under tremendous pressure because that new red line has been set to act,” Mr. Gardner said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “Because if the meeting with the president of the United States doesn’t achieve this result, what is left of diplomacy?”
Mr. Trump agreed on Thursday to meet with Mr. Kim, surprising some administration officials.
Mr. Gardner said the only way these talks are going to succeed is if China is involved “in a way that they have never done before.”
“It is now or never to show that they are going to be a responsible global leader,” he said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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