The White House said Monday North Korea won’t get sanctions relief until it takes “concrete action” toward denuclearization.
WASHINGTON — The White House said Monday North Korea won’t get sanctions relief until it takes “concrete action” toward denuclearization, the goal of President Trump’s planned summit with Kim Jong Un.
Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ comments appeared to leave open the possibility of easing the U. S.-led “maximum pressure” campaign before North Korea had completely given up its nuclear weapons. But Sanders said the U. S. wouldn’t make the mistake of past administrations in taking the North Koreans “simply at their word.”
She said, “We’ve seen some steps in the right direction but we have a long way to go.”
On Saturday, North Korea announced it will close its nuclear testing facility and suspend nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests — a move welcomed by Trump as “big progress.” The North stopped short of suggesting it will give up its nuclear weapons or scale back its production of missiles and their related components.
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Asked if the suspension of tests was a positive sign, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday, “Right now, I think there (are) a lot of reasons for optimism that the negotiations will be fruitful and we’ll see.
