North Korea Crisis
Trump blames Russia of propping
South to continue talks with vigilance
AFP
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Wednesday accused Russia of undermining international sanctions against North Korea and weakening efforts to curb Kim Jong-Uns nuclear weapons program, reports AFP. Russia is not helping us at all with North Korea, Trump told the Reuters news agency. What China is helping us with, Russia is denting.
Meanwhile BBC reports, South Korea says it will continue high-level talks with North Korea with clear eyes amid global warnings that Pyongyang might be playing for time to continue its nuclear-arms programme. We have to make the most of the opportunity, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told the BBC.
The two Koreas earlier agreed to march under a unified Korea flag at next months Winter Olympics in the South.
The talks come as the US and its allies vowed to keep pressure on the North.
On Wednesday US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said sanctions were really starting to hurt, expressing confidence that the pressure would eventually force the North to the negotiating table over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
Last year, US President Donald Trump said that America would destroy North Korea if forced to defend itself or its allies. Also on Wednesday, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said the world should not be blinded by Pyongyangs recent charm offensive.
It is not the time to ease pressure or to reward North Korea, Mr Kono said, Reuters news agency reported. The fact that North Korea is engaging in dialogue could be interpreted as proof that the sanctions are working.
Last month, Trump had already denounced Russia for not helping global efforts to pressure Pyongyang to halt the development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile delivery systems that have increased tensions with Washington.
Trump has blamed the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election for hampering an improvement in US-Russian relationsthereby limiting his influence over President Vladimir Putin. He can do a lot, Trump said of Putin. But unfortunately we dont have much of a relationship with Russia, and in some cases its probable that what China takes back, Russia gives. So the net result is not as good as it could be.
Separately, Trump denounced Chinas alleged theft of US intellectual propertyan issue under investigation since mid-August.
