---

Last Updated on March 6, 2018.

 

WASHINGTON — Win Without War Director, Stephen Miles, released the following statement regarding news that North Korea has expressed willingness to negotiate on giving up its nuclear weapons program:

 

The news today that North Korea is willing to begin talks with the United States on giving up its nuclear weapons is an incredibly welcome and positive development, and provides yet another data point in the power of diplomacy.

As  Donald Trump flails about, barks threats from the sidelines, and dismantles America’s diplomatic corps, South Korean President Moon Jae-in has quietly and patiently pursued negotiations with the North, which has now led to one of the most promising breakthroughs in the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula in the last 20 years.

The ball is now in Donald Trump’s court. He can continue to threaten war with North Korea or he can focus America’s energy on a diplomatic resolution to this crisis. He can start by nominating an Ambassador to South Korea and other key positions at the State Department that remain vacant. We should be under no illusion that talks will lead to a quick breakthrough, but it would be a huge mistake not to take advantage of this limited opportunity for negotiations.

While we should remain cautious about North Korea’s commitment to further negotiations and skeptical about its intentions, it’s clear that Kim Jong-un is calculating, and not some irrational leader bent on war with the United States and its allies in the region.

We urge all Americans — citizens, activists, experts, and lawmakers alike — to fully support these efforts, as diplomacy is the only way to truly resolve conflict on the Korean peninsula.

 

###

 

Win Without War is a diverse network of national organizations working for progressive foreign policy in America.

March 6, 2018