WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on North Korea’s recent missile tests:
“Having already fielded intercontinental ballistic missiles to threaten the United States, North Korea is now refining tactical capabilities to fight and win a war through the use of nuclear weapons. These tests represent key milestones in North Korea’s developing ability to coerce U.S. allies, prevent the United States from being able to respond to aggression, and to control escalation during a crisis. This is an incredibly dangerous situation.
“Our priority needs to be on U.S. and allied cooperation and military readiness through a strong tempo of training and exercises – not on “talks,” which historically have not worked. We must also maintain a strong nuclear deterrent, along with missile defense to protect the United States. It’s imperative we accelerate the modernization of our aging nuclear forces, maintain our own capabilities to provide extended deterrence and control escalation, and resist any moves to make dramatic or risky changes in our nuclear declaratory policy – such as a ‘sole or fundamental purpose’ policy – that would only weaken our alliances.”
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