UNITED NATIONS • Three days after offering to talk to North Korea “without pre-condition”, United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reversed course, insisting – as President Donald Trump has all along – that the North must stop its nuclear threats and “earn its way” to negotiations..
UNITED NATIONS • Three days after offering to talk to North Korea “without pre-condition”, United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reversed course, insisting – as President Donald Trump has all along – that the North must stop its nuclear threats and “earn its way” to negotiations.
“A sustained cessation of North Korea’s threatening behaviour must occur before talks can begin,” Mr Tillerson said at a United Nations Security Council meeting.
His remarks on Friday were a sharp contrast from his surprisingly conciliatory comments, made on Tuesday, in which he said he was open to talking to the North.
The White House swiftly distanced itself, saying that talks would be pointless so long as the North continued to threaten its neighbours and the US.
On Friday, Mr Tillerson reiterated Mr Trump’s position. “North Korea must earn its way back to the table,” he said. “The pressure campaign must and will continue until denuclearisation is achieved.”
The back and forth reflected the awkward gulf between Mr Tillerson and Mr Trump, who has threatened to “totally destroy” the country.
Mr Tillerson’s latest message also appeared to place the US and North Korea at a dangerous stand-off once more, with Washington insisting on a halt to the North’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes and North Korea advancing them.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the North Korean nuclear crisis the world’s “most tense and dangerous security issue”, and without identifying the US by name, warned of the risk of bellicose language.
