Donald Trump has accused Russia of helping North Korea bypass strict international sanctions aimed at slowing down Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
“Russia is not helping us at all with North Korea,” Trump told Reuters. “What China is helping us with, Russia is denting. In other words, Russia is making up for some of what China is doing.”
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However, Western European security sources reported in December that Russian tankers had been observed transferring oil to North Korean ships in international waters on at least three occasions in the months after the sanctions were in place.
North Korea relies on imported fuel “to keep its struggling economy functioning” and for its intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear program, The Guardian says.
Trump also downplayed reports from Pyongyang that North Korea has developed a missile capable of reaching the mainland United States.
“They’re not there yet, but they’re close. And they get closer every day,” he said.
CNN reports that Trump declined “for the second time in as many weeks” to confirm whether he has communicated with Kim Jong Un, adding that he doubts that direct talks would help “solve the problem”.
“I’m not sure that talks will lead to anything meaningful,” Trump said. “They’ve talked for 25 years and they’ve taken advantage... of our previous presidents.”