By Aaron Miller
President Donald Trump has said that the “era of strategic patience is over” when it comes to the United States’ stance toward North Korea.
His comments came during his visit to Japan, in which he and the Japanese leader claimed to be in complete agreement.
“Some people said that my rhetoric is very strong,” he said during remarks at a joint news conference in Tokyo alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. “But look at what’s happened with very weak rhetoric over the last 25 years. Look where we are now.”
The U.S President’s comments on his second day in the region, came as a reaffirmation of his tough stance on North Korea and rally allies to endorse his strategy.
He achieved that with Abe, who said Monday that he “100%” agreed with Trump’s strategy.
Abe confirmed that Japan and the US are in “complete agreement” as to the way forward in dealing with North Korea, including that now is not the time for direct talks with North Korea.
“We were in complete agreement as to the measures to be taken on the situation with North Korea,” Abe said, noting that he agrees “all options” should remain on the table. The Japanese Prime Minister also expressed his readiness to strengthen sanctions against Pyongyang-North Korea’s leader.
“For more than 20 some years, the international community attempted dialogue with North Korea,” Abe said. “Now is the time not for dialogue but for applying a maximum level of pressure on North Korea.”
Abe and Trump jointly expressed a tough stance on North Korea after earlier meetings with the families of Japanese citizens kidnapped by the North Korean regime. Further reference was made to the death of American Otto Warmbier to bolster his case for an aggressive approach toward Pyongyang.
In an appeal to North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, the American president urged the release all hostages, adding that it would send positive signals to the world. Trump re-iterated his willingness to meet with any leader, including the Korean President, a gesture watered down by an earlier statement by Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe that Japan could intercept missiles “if necessary”, by buying sophisticated military equipment from the U.S. A deal to sell high tech super advanced military equipment to Japan has been proposed by the American government to Japan, which the Japanese leader confirmed is on the cards.
On Monday, President Trump told reporters at the close of his first visit to Japan that Mr Abe was “going to purchase massive amounts of military equipment” from the US.
The American president said Mr Abe could “shoot them out of the sky” when their deal is finalized, adding that it would provide jobs to Americans as well as “safety for Japan”.
Mr Abe said he was considering such a deal, adding that Japan had to “qualitatively and quantitatively” enhance its defence capability, given the “very tough” North Korea situation.
The Japanese leader emphasized that the missile defence was based on “legal co-operation” between Japan and the US, and as for shooting down missiles, “if necessary of course we can do that”. North Korea has been the source of a world crisis since the inauguration of President Trump, but the rhetoric of the American resident has generally been a far cry from an idealistic diplomatic approach preferred in dealing with the North Korean crisis. Trump’s supporters in America consider his tough stance necessary for North Korea, many waiting eagerly for him to spark military action against the despotic North Korean leader. Military action is the last thing most level headed individuals and commentators want, but some see that as the necessary remedy to treat the ugly and persistent defiance of the North Korean leader. Continued dialogue remains the best option, with military action reserved for an emergency situation.