During an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said that North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, is “begging for war” with his “abusive use of missiles.”
Haley said “enough is enough,” comments which come after North Korea said Sunday that it has successfully tested a miniaturized hydrogen bomb that can be placed an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), The Hill reports.
Haley stressed that “the time for half measures in the Security Council is over.”
“The time has come to exhaust all of our diplomatic means before it is too late. We must now adopt the strongest possible measures. Kim Jong-un’s action cannot be seen as defensive,” she said.
Haley said the United States will circulate a resolution to be negotiated this week for a Monday vote. North Korea has “slapped everyone in the face in the international community that has asked them to stop,” Haley noted.
During the meeting, China’s Ambassador to the U.N., Liu Jieyi, pushed for “practical measures” to solve the North Korean nuclear issue, including dialogue.
“The situation on the peninsula is deteriorating constantly as we speak, falling into a vicious circle. The peninsula issue must be resolved peacefully. China will never allow chaos and war on the peninsula,” he said.
The ambassador pushed a joint proposal from his country and Russia in which North Korea would stop its nuclear missile activity, and the United States and South Korea would stop their military exercises. According to Haley, though, such a suggestion is “insulting.”
South Korea early Monday local time conducted live-fire exercises simulating a strike against North Korea in training exercises that followed North Korea’s latest test. Seoul reportedly said Monday that it believes Pyongyang is preparing additional missile launches, including a potential ICBM.
North Korea in July conducted two intercontinental ballistic missile tests and has conducted numerous missile tests throughout this year.
Be the first to comment