Trump: Only One Thing Will Work Regarding North Korea

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, emphasized on Saturday that negotiations with North Korea have been useless for 25 years and added without further explanation that 'only one thing will work' regarding this country. On Saturday, October 7, Mr. Trump tweeted that 'Presidents and their administrations have been negotiating with North Korea for 25 years, reaching agreements and paying a lot of money.' The President of the United States added, however, that '...this has been useless and agreements have been violated before the ink was dry, and American negotiators have been considered fools.' He stressed that 'sorry, but only one thing will yield results.' Although Mr. Trump did not specify his intention, he had previously stated that while his administration does not prioritize military options against North Korea, if such an option is used, the outcome would be 'devastating.' The issue of potential negotiations with North Korea arose last week when Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, traveled to Beijing to meet with the Chinese President. During this trip, Mr. Tillerson told reporters that there are several direct communication channels between the United States and North Korea and that the U.S. is 'assessing Pyongyang's willingness to engage in dialogue.' These statements were complemented by a statement from the U.S. State Department, which clarified that despite these communication channels, North Korean officials have shown no interest in discussing denuclearization. Mr. Tillerson's remarks about exploring the possibility of negotiations with North Korea were welcomed by Germany but provoked a reaction from the U.S. President, where Mr. Trump called attempts to negotiate with North Korea a 'waste of time.' The President also emphasized that 'kindness towards the rocket man has been fruitless for 25 years. Clinton, Bush, and Obama failed in this regard, but I will not fail.' In this context, a senior U.S. official told Reuters that as North Korea engages in provocative actions, the President does not believe it is the right time to talk with officials from that country. This senior Trump administration official also explained that the existing communication channels between Washington and Pyongyang are established to ensure the return of American prisoners held in North Korea. Although U.S. officials in recent weeks have spoken firmly about the need to resolve the North Korean crisis and the possibility of resorting to all options following a series of missile tests and North Korea's recent nuclear test, they have simultaneously emphasized the need to pursue a diplomatic solution to this crisis. Previously, the U.S. Secretary of State stated that halting missile tests is a precondition for negotiations with this country, and the U.S. Secretary of Defense has warned of a 'broad military response' to any threat from North Korea, but has emphasized that a diplomatic option is being considered in dealing with North Korea.