North Korea calls on US to show some ‘goodwill gestures’ and end sanctions
PYONGYANG has called on America to reciprocate its “goodwill measures” by easing sanctions and stopping demands the North denuclearise first.
The call comes as the rival Koreas plan to hold high-level talks on Monday to prepare for a third summit between their leaders and as Washington and Pyongyang try to follow through on nuclear disarmament vows made at a Us-north Korea summit.
In the most recent sign of growing frustration between Washington and Pyongyang, North Korea criticised senior US officials for insisting North Korea give up its nuclear weapons first before easing sanctions.
Notably, the statement did not directly criticise President Donald Trump, who met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June.
North Korea said “some high-level officials within the US administration” were making “desperate attempts at intensifying the international sanctions and pressure”.
“We hoped these goodwill measures would contribute to breaking down the high barrier of mistrust” between Pyongyang and Washington, the
North’s spokesman said. “However, the US responded to our expectation by inciting international sanctions and pressure.”
Those American officials are “going against the intention of President Trump to advance the DPRK-US relations, who is expressing gratitude to our goodwill measures for implementing the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)-us joint statement,” it said.
Washington has said sanctions will not be lifted until Pyongyang fully and finally dismantles its nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, Russia’s prime minister has sternly warned the US against ramping up sanctions, saying Moscow will strike back with economic, political and unspecified
“other” means.
Dimitry Medvedev said that if the US introduces sanctions over claims Moscow had used the Novichok nerve agent to poison ex-russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, Moscow will see that as a declaration of an “economic war” and respond accordingly.