We’ve all seen the negative press regarding President Donald Trump’s meeting with Chairman Kim Jong-un. But the criticism misses a point made by Winston Churchill long ago: “Jaw jaw is always better than . . . war war.” Diplomatic activity is better than the bellicose and destabilizing threats exchanged not very long ago.
The U.S. and North Korea both benefit from recent developments. The U.S. gets a cessation of missile and warhead testing by North Korea. North Korea gets a pull-back in U.S. military exercises. Whether Trump intended it or not, this is similar to the “freeze for freeze” proposal made by thoughtful advocates for diplomacy last fall. Despite other transgressions by President Trump and Kim Jong-un, this development is a good one.
The U.S. government should continue and expand the diplomatic approach. We should also acknowledge and encourage the continued positive contribution of South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in, who has perhaps done more than anyone to get diplomacy onto the table. It is a good sign that he and Kim Jong-un are scheduled to meet again in a few months.
Prolonged negotiations with concessions by all parties, including verification, will be required to achieve true denuclearization on the Korean peninsula. But patience and effort are a small price to pay to avoid the terrible consequences of war.
JUDY ELLIOTT
Canterbury
CURTIS SMITH
Manchester
(The writers are members of the N.H. Nuclear Weapons Working Group, a project of N.H. Peace Action and American Friends Service Committee-N.H.)