Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley slammed former President Donald Trump over his “friendliness” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Responding to reports that Kim plans to coordinate with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss an arms deal, Haley argued that both Trump’s and President Biden’s approaches failed.
“The Kim-Putin partnership is another sign that the dictators of the world are united,” Haley said in a statement.
“The tyrants who lead China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea hate America and our values. We must take their threats seriously.
“Neither Joe Biden’s weakness nor Donald Trump’s friendliness towards Kim has changed North Korea’s direction for the better. This dictator only understands strength.”
Haley served as Trump’s US Ambassador to the UN from 2017 to late 2018. During her tenure, she led efforts to tighten sanctions on the pariah nation, cutting it off from gas and other essential goods.
Nikki Haley has touted her foreign policy bona fides and positioned herself as an apologetic defender of the US on the world stage.REUTERS
Donald Trump walks with Kim Jong Un during their 2018 summit together in Singapore. Reuters
After months of heated rhetoric culminating in an offer from Kim, Trump has since reversed course on the pressure campaign against Pyongyang.
He met with the leader of the hermit government in 2018 and 2019, seeking to make amends between the two rival nations.
Donald Trump often bragged about the letters he received from Kim Jong Un.AFP/Getty Images
Both Donald Trump and Nikki Haley have accused President Biden of displaying weakness on the world stage. AFP/Getty Images
Ultimately, he was unable to lock down a deal on North Korea’s nuclear weapons program before his departure from the White House. Still, Trump regularly praised Kim.
On the campaign trail, Haley has largely refrained from food fights with the 2024 GOP poll kingpin, though she has gone after him over North Korea in the past.
Back in June, Haley diverged from Trump, who congratulated Kim on his country winning a key appointment to the World Health Organization.
He called Kim a “thug” and argued, “There’s no reason we should congratulate the faces that they are now the vice-chairman of the WHO.”
Haley on Trump congratulating Kim Jong Un: “Kim Jong Un is a thug…There is nothing good or good about Kim Jong Un. There is no reason why we should congratulate them because they are now vice-chairmen of the WHO…congratulate our friends, don’t congratulate our enemies.”
— Dylan Wells (@dylanewells) June 5, 2023
Vladimir Putin has appealed to some of his allies, such as China and North Korea, amid tough Western sanctions.AP
On Monday, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson confirmed that US officials believe Kim and Putin are preparing for a confab.
“We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, including leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia,” Watson said in a statement.
The meeting could happen as soon as next week, US officials told the New York Times. Putin is reportedly trying to get Kim to sell him weapons to support his bloody war against neighboring Ukraine.
News of the meeting comes amid reports from South Korea that Russia is afloat having joint naval exercises with China and North Korea.
Trump is the undisputed 2024 GOP frontrunner with a 39.3% percentage point advantage over his closest rival, Gov. Ron DeSantis in the latest RealClearPolitics national polling aggregate. Haley was fourth.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
