Sanctions key to North Korea success, says US

PROGRESS in talks with North Korea means that the world now stands at the “dawn of a new day”, the US has said, as it demanded that sanctions be kept in place and rejected Russian and Chinese calls to show mercy to Pyongyang.

Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, told a meeting of the United Nations Security Council that North Korea had been pulled back from the brink.

He, and Donald Trump, have both repeatedly reported progress in the denuclearisation discussions with the North, but there has been little visible evidence of that to date.

Russia and China told the meeting that they believed North Korea should be rewarded for the progress by a loosening of sanctions – albeit not in a way that would help the country’s nuclear programme.

But Mr Pompeo said the “unprecedented diplomatic opening” would close unless the pressure from sanctions was kept up.

“Enforcement of UN Security Council sanctions must continue vigorously and without fail until we realise final, fully verified denuclearisation,” said Mr Pompeo, who a day earlier had announced he would travel to Pyongyang next month, in what will be his fourth visit.