Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s Statement on Singapore Summit with Kim Jong-Un
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement on President Trump’s summit with Kim Jong-Un in Singapore:
“As a lifelong advocate for diplomacy, I am pleased that the U.S. has started direct talks with North Korea to denuclearize and deescalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
“Diplomacy takes time. The Trump Administration must be prepared to engage in the hard work of negotiation. President Trump needs to stop sidelining experts and rebuild our diplomatic staff at the State Department, so that we can achieve a verifiable agreement that helps rid the world of nuclear weapons.
“At the same time, we cannot lose sight of the challenges ahead. We must stand firm against the war hawks in President Trump’s cabinet who would like to co-opt this chance at peace to pave the way for regime change. If our negotiations don’t succeed, we cannot allow the collapse of these talks to be used as a pretext for war.
“We have an opportunity to build permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, stop nuclear proliferation in its tracks, and ensure greater respect for human rights in North Korea. We need to ensure that this summit is more than just a photo opportunity. In the coming months, it is critically important that the U.S. continues the momentum towards a specific, concrete deal to address the many issues before our two nations.”
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