Singapore Summit a cause for optimism, however we must remain vigilant and show strength against Kim

History was made at the Singapore Summit this week, as a sitting U.S. President, Donald Trump, met with the Leader of North Korea, evil dictator Kim Jong Un. If you had asked me a year ago, I might have been skeptical, but undeniably hopeful, about this exact scenario. While time will tell what this historic meeting will actually mean for U.S.-North Korea relations, we cannot forget what brought us to this point.

For years, the isolated nation of North Korea has been ruled by an aggressive, impulsive tyranny under the Kim dynasty. This longtime adversary of the United States began escalating tensions and increasing threats to fire ballistic weapons at the United States and her allies. Continued provocations by the Kim regime created hysteria over the last year as many feared the wrath and full scope of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities. Coupled with the Kim regime’s brutal murder of American student Otto Warmbier, the U.S. retaliation of heavy sanctions, and provocative rhetoric between our two countries, the options left on the table were limited.

{mosads}As a member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I have long advocated for a strong, credible military option to pressure North Korea into diplomatic discussions. And while I’m pleased to see the president and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo use this tactic, the end result is uncertain on whether denuclearization from North Korea is possible. As some prematurely celebrate the summit as a victory, and others remain skeptical and sobered by the reality that North Korea can never be trusted, I’m reminded of the struggles before World War II, when freedom-loving nations faced a similar dilemma dealing with evil dictators.

On Sept. 30, 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declared “Peace for our Time!” as he celebrated the signing of the Munich Pact with Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and French Premier Edouard Daldier. With a sigh of relief, Chamberlain said at the time, ‘we regard the agreement signed last night and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again.’

Looking back, the Munich Agreement was a colossal failure and the speech by Chamberlain that day did not age well. But, it is completely understandable why this event would have been celebrated at the time. This was a victory for the European powers, securing an agreement that gave a little to satiate a dominating leader in order to protect the greater good. It made sense given the brutal years of war they endured in World War I that nearly wiped out an entire generation. The tremendous pressure to avoid another military conflict must have been overwhelming for Chamberlain and his allied neighbors, and so it’s understandable they would seize any chance at a peaceful solution.

Today, history does not list Mr. Chamberlain as the hero of that time nor of that generation. Instead, we celebrate leaders like Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill as men who saw the gathering storm, and took action to marshal the resources and courage to attack, defending our very way of life. They both made the difficult decision to go to war, where the outcome was uncertain and the loss of life would be high. Still, they are the heroes of our history, victorious for winning the war and, more importantly, for saving the free world.

In a different land with different players, we face a similar moment to Roosevelt and Churchill. The threat of Kim Jung Un invading his neighbors and dominating Asia are less of a reality than what Europe faced in the 1940s, but the risks of today are just as great. It’s important to remember that just a few months ago, the North Korean regime was looking to unleash their nuclear-tipped missiles across the Pacific towards the United States and her allies. In addition to those threats, a nuclear armed North Korea could seize the opportunity to profit from their nuclear material by selling it to groups hostile to our interests or to groups who believe that to die for this mission guarantees perfect eternity. Moreover, allowing North Korea to have nuclear weapons would spell the end of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and inspire more nations run by evil leaders to use nukes as an insurance policy, giving license to return us to the dark ages of war.

Confronting the nuclear ambitions of North Korea is not for the faint of heart. The simple willingness to use military action makes diplomacy more effective, and as we move forward in talks with North Korea, I urge the president to work with Congress before making any future deals with Kim Jong Un.

Diplomacy is an art, not a science. And while I’m encouraged by the prospects of the Singapore Summit, I remain cautious. We cannot let our guard down or concede on our red lines, and we must continue to show strength against the rogue, aggressive Kim regime.

To be clear, I pray that diplomacy works and that military action is never needed in North Korea. But a failure to confront a nuclear tyrant like Kim Jong Un would lead to irreversible devastation and a world on constant edge for generations to come. Will this historic moment be our Chamberlain fumble, or our Churchill moment? Time will tell, but one thing is clear: a nuclear armed nation like North Korea is a global risk, and it is up to the United States and her allies to once again fight for peace and save the free world.