Washington D.C.: US President Barack Obama has said Donald Trump’s suggestion that Japan and South Korea should consider obtaining nuclear weapons demonstrates that he lacks understanding about foreign policy and the world at large.
“The person who made the statements doesn’t know much about foreign policy or nuclear policy or the Korean Peninsula or the world generally,” said Obama at a news conference at the close of the Nuclear Security Summit.
Obama asserted that relations with Republic of Korea and Japan was one of the cornerstones of the US presence in the Asia Pacific, which has provided peace, prosperity and flowing commerce to the nation.
“It has prevented the possibilities of a nuclear escalation and conflict. You don’t mess with that. It’s an investment that rests on the sacrifices that our men and women made (in World War II),” said Obama.
“We don’t want someone in the Oval Office who doesn’t recognize how important that is,” he added.
The statement came as Trump, who could become the President Obama’s successor, made several controversial nuclear proposals this week.
Trump had said that nuclear proliferation is the world’s biggest challenge but also suggested that it may be time for Japan and South Korea to develop their own nuclear arsenals so that the U.S. can pull back from Asia. (ANI)