US ambassador: North Korea canceled Pompeo talks

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley says North Korea canceled this week’s talks between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a senior North Korean official — but the summit between the two leaders is still on after Jan. 1.

Haley told reporters Thursday “I don’t think there was some major issue” for the postponement.

“I have talked with the administration and basically what we’re looking at is they postponed it because they weren’t ready,” she said, “and secretary Pompeo and the administration stand ready to talk.”

Pompeo was supposed to meet Kim Yong Chol in New York Thursday.

Haley spoke ahead of Security Council closed consultations called by Russia to discuss exemptions from U.N. sanctions.

She stressed that North Korea hasn’t “done anything to warrant getting rid of the sanctions yet.”