U.S. President Donald Trump has yet again revealed his biased, shocking views about North Korea's missile provocations.
He told reporters at the White House that he was not at all upset about the latest missile launches by North Korea because the missiles were only short-range.
“They're short-range missiles and my relationship is very good with Chairman Kim,” he said. “We'll see what happens, but they are short-range missiles and many people have those missiles.” A reporter then commented that the president didn't sound surprised by the tests. Trump responded: “Not at all.”
The remarks came after Pyongyang fired two short-range ballistic missiles Thursday in violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions that ban the country from conducting ballistic missile tests. Military experts said the two missiles ― a modified version of Russia's Iskander ― showed a unique flight pattern that could penetrate the missile defense systems deployed in South Korea.
Previously in May when North Korea fired short-range missiles, Trump also said he was “personally” not bothered by them. He even said he views the missiles “differently” after his security adviser John Bolton stated the missile launches violated the UNSC resolutions.
Trump's “willful ignorance” of the North Korean missiles is partly understandable because the U.S. is making efforts to resume negotiations with Pyongyang over the latter's commitment to denuclearization. Trump may believe that raising tensions with the North over the short-range missile tests at this moment won't be helpful in seeking a deal with it.
But he gives the impression that he doesn't mind its missile launches as long as they are short-range, and not threatening the U.S. mainland.
But such a way of thinking is frustrating ― and dangerous. Most of all, he can give the wrong signal to the North that the U.S. will not step in as long as it does not target the U.S. mainland. What about U.S. allies in Asia? What about American military personnel and their families here?
If Trump understands the true meaning of alliance and what the missiles mean to people living in U.S.-allied nations in Asia, he should not have spoken as he did. It is not the same as demanding more payment from South Korea for the upkeep of U.S. soldiers.
What is really worrisome is that it could have been Trump's sole decision to ignore the North Korean missile tests, given the differing views of his security aides, including Bolton. If so, there is a major loophole at the White House in the process of producing security policies about North Korea.
Even U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo downplayed the latest tests as a “negotiating tactic,” Thursday, without giving any warning to North Korea. He said he expects the working-level talks to resume in a couple of weeks.
It is hardly understandable that the U.S. is sitting idle ― even “sleepwalking” through the existing UNSC resolutions ― while North Korea is apparently accelerating development of technologies needed to produce nuclear missiles. How could the president of our ally think it is okay by him as long as North Korea fires only short-range missiles?
Is it too harsh to call Trump the biggest helper of North Korea's missile development?