Pompeo: Sanctions Essential for N. Korean Denuclearization

Washington has once again made it clear that it will not ease sanctions placed on North Korea. While blaming Moscow for its recent attempt to cover up its breaches of sanctions on the regime, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters that the punitive measures are central to Washington's denuclearization mission.

"Russia has actively attempted to undermine the UN Security Council resolutions.”

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Russia for seeking to undermine international sanctions on North Korea.

Pompeo on Friday told reporters at the state department that carrying out UN sanctions is essential for Washington's denuclearization mission.

"The United States is as committed as ever to continuing to enforce those UN Security Council resolutions. We believe they are central to President Trump's efforts to convince Chairman Kim that full, final denuclearization of the Korean peninsula is necessary and it needs to be done in a way that the world can see that there's been this strategic change in Chairman Kim's core understanding of how he will provide a better future for the North Korean people."

The statement came a day after U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley accused Russia of trying to conceal some of its sanction breaches.

Russia is suspected to have attempted to change language in a report from the UN's 1718 committee that evaluates compliance with sanctions.

"I hope that the 1718 committee will do what it has historically done: remain independent and report on the facts as they know it and not allow a single country, in this case Russia, to draft language and have it inserted. And I hope they will publish the original document that they intended to publish which shows, it shows clear activities related to sanctions and sanctions violations."

Citing U.S. military sources, the Wall Street Journal said Friday that Washington is convening a multinational coalition of at least eight countries, including South Korea, to expand surveillance of ships smuggling fuel to North Korea.

The move marks the first international effort to monitor the maritime traffic to and from North Korea since the U.S. launched its “maximum-pressure” campaign on the regime.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.