North Korea State Media Slams US For Not Lifting Sanctions Against Pyongyang

North Korea’s government news agency has slammed the United States for not lifting sanctions against Pyongyang, which is likely to hinder the ongoing denuclearization talks between the two countries.

Notably, during Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un’s first meeting in Singapore in June, the two leaders signed a vaguely-worded pledge on denuclearization.  The pledge required North Korea to dismantle all of its nuclear testing sites in exchange for the US providing security guarantees to North Korea. Unfortunately, little progress has been made since then. The US President Trump has been outspoken about the personal bond he has built with Kim, but, their meeting has led to no concrete results until now.

While Pyongyang is demanding the US to loosen the sanctions imposed over its weapons programmes, the US wants the North Korean Peninsula to be denuclearized completely first.

“Hostile policy and reciprocity cannot go together,” the article said, and negotiations would not move forward “an inch with an obstacle called sanctions”.

As per the news article, Washington seems to be playing a double game and is very close to messing up the rare diplomatic opportunity between the two countries.

The article has been published just days after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Pyongyang and said he had positive and productive talks with the North Korean leader on denuclearization. After the visit, Pompeo said Kim Jong Un had agreed to allow international inspectors to visit a dismantled nuclear test site. However, he did not elaborate on any offers made by the US in return.

Meanwhile, during a recent interview, Trump said that he completely trusts his North Korean counterpart and gets along with him very well. He also mentioned holding a second meeting with Kim soon. The meeting is likely to be scheduled after the midterm congressional elections next month.