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White House National Security Advisor John Bolton exits the White House for an interview with Fox News on Mar. 5. (Reuters/Yonhap News)
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Contradicts Trump’s post-summit remarks that Washington wouldn’t impose additional sanctions
White House National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Mar. 5 that the US would consider intensifying sanctions against North Korea if it does not fully denuclearize. Considered a leading hardliner within the US foreign affairs and national security lineup, Bolton delivered the remarks during an appearance that evening on the Fox Business current affairs discussion program “Lou Dobbs Tonight.” Stressing that North Korea must abandon its nuclear weapon program and everything connected to it, Bolton said, “If they’re not willing to do it, President [Donald] Trump has been very clear they’re not getting relief from the crushing economic sanctions that have been imposed on them.” “And we’ll look at ramping those sanctions up, in fact,” he added. Bolton also said that the US’ acceptance of leader Kim Jong-un’s suggestion of sanctions relief would have “given North Korea a lifeline, giving them a chance to get their breath back economically while potentially still concealing a lot of nuclear weapons capabilities, missiles and the rest of it.” Stressing that the US would not “buy the same pony that they’ve sold to previous administrations,” he called on North Korea to “go back and reassess their strategy.” While Bolton only said that the US would “look at” intensifying sanctions, his remarks read as an attempt to pressure Pyongyang by raising the possibility. It remains unclear whether he was referring to ratcheting up existing sanctions or imposing new ones. In a press conference shortly after the second North Korea-US summit in Hanoi ended on Feb. 28 without producing an agreement, Trump said Washington was not considering additional sanctions. Bolton’s remarks, which come amid ongoing statements from Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stressing their willingness to engage in dialogue with the North even after the summit’s failure, were seen as part of a strategic attempt to use a mixture of conciliatory and hardline messages to pressure Pyongyang. Bolton also said that Trump was “ready to make a deal [and] ready to meet again [with Kim].” Regarding Bolton’s remarks, Bloomberg observed, “The threat of more sanctions risks increasing tensions following the collapse of the summit.” The remarks are also feeding speculation that Bolton – a minimal presence during working-level talks between Pyongyang and Washington – is taking on a front-and-center role in North Korea issues. His growing influence was the focus of a Mar. 4 article in the Washington Post titled “John Bolton puts his singular stamp on Trump’s National Security Council.” In appearances on CNN and two other networks on Mar. 3, Bolton claimed that the North Korea-US summit collapsed when Trump presented a “big deal” document calling for the dismantling of all nuclear facilities, which North Korea refused to accept. By Cho Il-joon, staff reporter Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
