Since taking office in January, President Trump has been able to accomplish quite a bit in a short amount of time. Despite not getting any cooperation from Congress, Trump has slashed regulations, improved border security, and is poised to take decisive action on health care. If he’s made one thing clear so far, it’s that he knows how to get things done.
While the above might be good news for many, it is foreign policy where Trump has made his biggest impact. After eight years of passive American leadership, Trump has put Syria and Iran on notice, forced ISIS into retreat, and recommitted to victory in Afghanistan. With Trump as president, America is no longer backing down from the fight.
Of course, there is perhaps no greater foreign policy puzzle to solve than that of North Korea. Since Trump took office, the rogue nation has only intensified their provocations. However, thanks to the U.S. effort to impose new sanctions, progress is being made.
From Fox Business:
The United Nations Security Council has banned four ships from ports globally for carrying cargo from North Korea, including one vessel that had ammunition, but the United States postponed a bid to blacklist four others pending further investigation.
The vessels are the first to be designated under stepped-up sanctions imposed on North Korea by the 15-member council in August and September over Pyongyang’s sixth and largest nuclear test and two long-range ballistic missile launches.
The Security Council North Korea sanctions committee, which operates by consensus, agreed at the request of the United States, to blacklist the ships on Oct. 3 for “transporting prohibited items from the DPRK” (North Korea), according to documents seen by Reuters on Tuesday.
With the sanctions taking their toll, Trump will have much more leverage to deescalate hostilities on the peninsula. Unlike when Obama made a disastrous deal with the Iranians, President Trump is showing no signs of giving in to the threat. At this point, it’s clear American leadership has finally returned to the global stage.
[Note: This post was written by Michael Lee. Follow him on Twitter @UAMichaelLee]