During a pre-dawn military parade Saturday, North Korea unveiled what appeared to be a new intercontinental ballistic missile that’s larger than any the country has rolled out before. The display was widely seen as an example of how President Trump’s approach to denuclearization talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un — which have fluctuated between intimidation and cordiality — haven’t panned out over the years.
Bottom line: after four years of “Fire and Fury” and “We fell in love”, North Korea has more nuclear weapons and a more advanced ballistic missile program. https://t.co/97e5q340Wo
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) October 10, 2020
This is how well @realDonaldTrump ‘s North Korea policy is going.
“North Korea unveils massive new ballistic missile in military parade.”
KJU had a 4 year free pass to advance his capabilities and the threats he poses to our national security.https://t.co/HFyEOjfnye
— Sam Vinograd (@sam_vinograd) October 10, 2020
Arms control experts have said the images of the missile suggest it’s big enough to carry multiple warheads, or perhaps a large thermonuclear one, but it’s unclear if the ICBM is actually just for show since there’s no indication it’s been tested.
Either way, the unveiling appears to be a bold move that signals Kim wants to strengthen his nuclear arsenal amid stalled negotiations with Trump, though it will likely be considered less provocative because of the choice to reveal the weapons system during a parade rather than conducting an actual test.
It’d be seen as less provocative for North Korea to unveil a new weapon at a parade rather than conduct a weapons test. Especially if it’s a longer-range missile. Trump has warned he doesn’t want any big provocations around the election.
— William Gallo (@GalloVOA) October 10, 2020
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