President George W Bush today called on the IRA to disarm, making his most significant intervention in the stalled Northern peace process.
But Sinn Féin's Mr Gerry Kelly later rejected the "media spin" surrounding the US President’s comments.
He said: "In fact President Bush shares the Sinn Fein position on this matter. The issue of arms must be resolved.
"Both governments and the parties agreed terms in the Good Friday Agreement on our collective role in this.
In an interview with the TimesMr Bush said: "The situation in Northern Ireland is coming to a critical stage... There should be no mistake, we believe that the decommissioning (disarmament) part of the Good Friday agreement must be upheld."
But the DUP’s deputy leader Mr Peter Robinson predicted Mr Bush's call for disarmament would fall on deaf ears.
"I don't think his comments on decommissioning are all that different to his predecessor President Clinton," the East Belfast MP said.
"Republicans will only decommission under the terms of the IRA statement which says it will happen when all the causes of conflict, as they see it, have gone - in other words, a united Ireland.
Mr Bush's call for disarmament followed hard on claims by Sinn Féin's national chairman Mr Mitchel McLaughlin that there had been movement by the IRA on the arms issue.
Calling for further movement from the British government on policing, demilitarisation, equality issues and the criminal justice review, the Foyle MLA argued during a visit to London: "Despite what some people are saying, there has been movement on arms.
"You have the IRA engaging with the de Chastelain Arms Commission, independent inspections of arms dumps and the IRA outlining a political context in which weapons can be put beyond use.
"What is required is a similar approach by the two governments on the other issues which can add value to the Agreement.
He also claimed proposals by the British Prime Minister on policing "fell well short'' of what was required to secure nationalist and republican support.
"A considerable body of work will have to be done but it cannot be done with just an implementation plan. There must be legislative change to Peter Mandelson's Police Act. That is the challenge for the British government."
Meanwhile, The SDLP’s Mr Sean Farren welcomed Mr Bush’s comments and also said that his party had made real progress on the policing issue.
PA